Williams sisters’ US Open doubles return ends in tie-break heartbreak
Serena and Venus Williams lost their first-round women’s doubles match at the US Open to Maya Joint and Chan Hao-Ching after surrendering a 5-0 lead in the deciding set tie-breaker.
Serena and Venus Williams have ended their four-year Grand Slam doubles hiatus with a narrow first-round defeat at the US Open. The sisters, who received wildcard entries for the tournament, lost to Maya Joint and Chan Hao-Ching in a match that extended to a 10-point match tie-breaker at Flushing Meadows.
The final score was 6-3, 6-7 (8-6), 7-6 (10-7), concluding a contest that lasted three hours and two minutes. The result marked the first time the pair had competed together in a Grand Slam doubles event since the 2022 US Open, a tournament they won 27 years ago.
Joint, a 20-year-old Australian, had previously defeated Serena Williams in the women’s singles at Wimbledon earlier this year. The encounter at Arthur Ashe Stadium drew a crowd of 23,000, with the sisters’ every winner met with significant applause. Despite holding a 5-0 lead in the deciding set tie-breaker, the Williams sisters were unable to convert their advantage, with a Chan Hao-Ching volley sealing the victory for the opposition.
The defeat follows a similar outcome at the Cincinnati Open in August, where the sisters lost their first doubles match in four years to Marta Kostyuk and Peyton Stearns. That earlier loss also occurred in a tie-breaker, highlighting a recurring challenge for the pair as they attempt to revive their partnership.
Serena Williams, 44, and Venus Williams, 46, hold 14 Grand Slam doubles titles and 30 combined singles titles between them. Serena’s participation in the US Open follows a knee injury that forced her to withdraw from a singles comeback attempt at Wimbledon in July. ESPN commentator Caroline Wozniacki suggested that Serena may look to return to singles competition next year.
The US Tennis Association stated that the sisters would not be available for comment following the match. Other notable results from the tournament included Stefanos Tsitsipas reaching the fourth round for the first time in his career and Frances Tiafoe advancing with a straight-sets victory.
