US Open LIVE: Serena Williams and Carlos Alcaraz team up for mixed doubles clash vs Routliffe and Glasspool

Serena Williams and Carlos Alcaraz make their return to tennis in an all-star pairing at the US Open mixed doubles tournament.

23-time grand slam champion Williams is competing in New York four years after the final competitive singles match of her career - or at least, the first phase of her career - before she began “evolving away” from the sport.

But the 44-year-old is back in action alongside Spaniard Alcaraz, who has not played in four months due to a troublesome wrist injury, but makes his return to grand slam action in order to defend his singles title at Flushing Meadows.

Elsewhere in the high-profile but controversial mixed doubles event, which is in its second year after a major revamp, world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka and 24-time grand slam champion Novak Djokovic are the top seeds, with the all-American pairing of Jessica Pegula and Taylor Fritz the second seeds.

Follow all the action with our liveblog below:

US Open mixed doubles live

US Open begins with mixed doubles tournament | Live on Sky Sports
Serena Williams and Carlos Alcaraz team up in all-star pairing
Alcaraz back in action after four-month injury layoff
World No 1 Aryna Sabalenka and Novak Djokovic the top seeds

Sabalenka/Djokovic 4-1, 1-1 Siniakova/Patten*

16:40 , Flo Clifford

Patten and Siniakova fight back in this game but the Briton skies an awkward volley at 40-30 and we remain on serve.

*Sabalenka/Djokovic 4-1, 0-1 Siniakova/Patten

16:35 , Flo Clifford

Patten whacks down an ace before Sabalenka goes wide on return. The top seeds are smiling and joking in between points, Djokovic in particular seems to be enjoying himself.

Patten and Siniakova play a series of angled volleys which look effortless and one from the Brit seals the opening game of this set.

FIRST SET! Sabalenka/Djokovic 4-1 Siniakova/Patten*

16:31 , Flo Clifford

Djokovic rattles through an excellent service game to seal the first set!

BREAK! *Sabalenka/Djokovic 3-1 Siniakova/Patten

16:29 , Flo Clifford

Sabalenka mishits a second serve return, then screams in frustration as she backpedals to catch a surprisingly-angled ball from Patten and launches a lob almost into the crowd. The doubles specialists are, unsurprisingly, looking more comfortable at the net and in those positions.

Patten goes long and Siniakova nets, with the Czech struggling on serve, before Sabalenka plays a beautiful angled forehand cross-court from deep at the baseline! Deuce.

It’s a deciding point under this format... Siniakova hasn’t landed a first serve this game and she double faults. The top seeds have a break!

Sabalenka/Djokovic 2-1 Siniakova/Patten*

16:22 , Flo Clifford

Siniakova gets the better of Sabalenka in a rapid-fire net exchange as the Belarusian swings long under pressure.

But she serves excellently and wraps up a great hold.

*Sabalenka/Djokovic 1-1 Siniakova/Patten

16:20 , Flo Clifford

Sabalenka plants a lovely forehand winner down the line but Siniakova responds with a tidy net volley for 40-15.

An ace down the T seals an easy hold for Wimbledon doubles champ Patten/

Sabalenka/Djokovic 1-0 Siniakova/Patten*

16:16 , Flo Clifford

Sabalenka knocks a volley into the net but Djokovic gets a point on the board with a good serve... then smashes wildly long on the next point! Never been his best shot, that.

Reminder that this is using a fast-four format, rather than the standard six-game sets.

Siniakova, who is looking to attack every ball, goes long, and some beefy serving by Djokovic coupled by a big overhead smash by Sabalenka secures the hold.

*Sabalenka/Djokovic v Siniakova/Patten

16:14 , Flo Clifford

So, Djokovic will get this underway. It looks a gorgeous day in New York.

*denotes first to serve

Prize money

16:12 , Flo Clifford

Round 1 (qualifying) - $10,000

Round 2 (qualifying) - $20,000

Round 1 (main draw) - $40,000

Quarter-finals - $120,000

Semi-finals - $250,000

Finalist - £500,000

Winner - $1,000,000

Sabalenka/Djokovic v Siniakova/Patten

16:05 , Flo Clifford

Up first, top seeds Aryna Sabalenka and Novak Djokovic take on who really should be the top seeds: doubles world No 1s Katerina Siniakova and Henry Patten, who have had to go through qualifying to be here, in one of the more baffling developments of this tournament.

Djokovic is introduced as “the greatest of all time” as the pairings take to the court, all smiles.

What is the format?

15:58 , Flo Clifford

For every match up to the final, matches will be best-of-3 sets, with sets to four games and a 10-point tie-break instead of a third set.

For the final, it will be a traditional set to six games and a 10-point tie-break instead of a third set.

All matches will have sudden death deuce.

What is the draw?

15:53 , Flo Clifford

Aryna Sabalenka and Novak Djokovic (1) vs Leylah Fernandez and Frances Tiafoe (Arthur Ashe)
Elina Svitolina vs Gael Monfils vs Alexandra Eala and Felix Auger-Aliassime (Louis Armstrong)
Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli (4) vs Taylor Townsend and Alexander Zverev (Arthur Ashe)
Serena Williams and Carlos Alcaraz vs Qualifer/Qualifier (Arthur Ashe)
Karolina Muchova and Jakub Mensik vs Qualifier/Qualifier (Louis Armstrong)
Emma Navarro and Tommy Paul vs Amanda Anisimova and Learner Tien (3) (Louis Armstrong)
Mirra Andreeva and Andrey Rublev vs Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori (Louis Armstrong)
Diana Shnaider and Casper Ruud vs Jessica Pegula and Taylor Fritz (2) (Louis Armstrong)

When is it?

15:47 , Flo Clifford

The main draw starts on Tuesday 25 August with the first round and quarter-finals. Play starts at 4pm BST (11am local) on Arthur Ashe Stadium and 3pm BST (10am local) on Louis Armstrong Stadium.

The semi-finals and final will headline a special night session on Arthur Ashe Stadium on Wednesday 26 August, starting at midnight BST (7pm local).

US Open mixed doubles

15:41 , Flo Clifford

The high-profile mixed doubles event at the US Open begins on Tuesday with several star pairings set to take to the courts at Flushing Meadows.

It was confirmed on Saturday that Serena Williams, who returned to tennis in June, will team up with defending men’s singles champion Carlos Alcaraz in New York.

World No 1 women’s player Aryna Sabalenka and 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic are the top seeds, with the all-American pairing of Jessica Pegula and Taylor Fritz the second seeds.

There is also a qualifying event, made up predominantly of specialist doubles players, before the main draw starts on Tuesday. The defending champions are the Italian doubles pairing of Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori.

Good afternoon

15:37 , Flo Clifford

Hello and welcome back to grand slam action! The US Open kicks off with its glitzy mixed doubles tournament, now in its second year, before the singles main draws begin on Sunday 30 August.

We’ll have all the action and latest updates here.