Williams Sisters Lose Three-Set Thriller in Emotional US Open Doubles Return

Serena and Venus Williams returned to the US Open doubles court together and turned Arthur Ashe Stadium into a night of reunion and nostalgia. The sisters ultimately lost 6-3, 6-7(6), 7-6(7) to Australia’s Maya Joint and Chinese Taipei’s Hao-Ching Chan, the No. 14 seeds.

It was the Williams sisters’ first appearance together at the tournament since 2022. The 14-time Grand Slam women’s doubles champions received a huge reception as they walked onto the court in matching white outfits.

Joint and Chan took the opening set after winning the final three games. Serena and Venus answered in the second, fighting through a tight contest and converting a crucial set point to force a decider.

The Williams sisters then recovered from a 1-4 deficit in the final set and brought the match level. Joint and Chan held firm at the key moment, saving three break points at 4-4 before edging the deciding match tiebreak after three hours and two minutes.

Venus, 46, and Serena, 44, have won three Olympic gold medals together and remained unbeaten in 17 high-profile doubles finals. Although this comeback ended in defeat, their appearance gave the New York crowd another chance to see one of tennis’s iconic partnerships on the US Open stage.