Serena and Venus Williams Turn the US Open Into a Sister Act

At 7:10 p.m., the stadium announcer called out Serena and Venus Williams, and the Arthur Ashe Stadium erupted. Mist drifted across the court before two of the greatest players in tennis history appeared together again.

Officially, it was only a first-round women’s doubles match. In the atmosphere of a packed summer night in Queens, it felt much larger. Around 23,000 spectators first watched carefully, then broke into the kind of tennis celebration associated with the sisters’ earlier years.

Their reunion was not a foregone conclusion. Serena, a 23-time Grand Slam singles champion and an icon in sport and activism, had stepped away from tennis after their previous US Open appearance as a doubles team four years ago. She turned to business and family life, raising her daughters Alexis Olympia, 8, and Adira, 2.

Venus, a seven-time Grand Slam singles champion, never fully let go of professional tennis. She continued competing on the WTA Tour and still receives wildcards, even as the world’s No. 618-ranked player, because her name draws audiences. Together, the sisters have won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles. Their return showed how much a single name can stir, and how much more powerful that effect becomes when both Williams sisters walk onto the court.