NEW YORK: Tennis legends Serena Williams and Venus Williams made a memorable return to the US Open doubles court at Arthur Ashe Stadium before suffering a three-set defeat against Maya Joint and Hao-Ching Chan.
The Williams sisters, playing together at the tournament for the first time since 2022, lost 6-3, 6-7(6), 7-6(7) to Australia’s Joint and Chinese Taipei’s Chan, the No. 14 seeds, in a contest that lasted three hours and two minutes.
Despite the defeat, the night marked a special reunion for the 14-time Grand Slam women’s doubles champions, who received a huge reception from the New York crowd as they stepped onto the court in matching tennis whites.
The duo, who have won three Olympic gold medals together and remained unbeaten in 17 high-profile doubles finals, showed glimpses of their former dominance while battling against a younger opponent.
No matter the result, always good to see Serena and Venus competing 💙 pic.twitter.com/NwbU9DS7aq
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 5, 2026
Joint and Chan claimed the opening set after taking the final three games, but the Williams sisters responded strongly in the second set. Serena and Venus fought through a tight contest and converted a crucial set point to force a decider.
The final set saw the Williams sisters erase a 1-4 deficit and bring the match level, but Joint and Chan held their nerve in the deciding moments. They saved three break points at 4-4 before edging the match tiebreak to seal victory.
Venus, 46, and Serena, 44, have played a defining role in women’s tennis, winning multiple Grand Slam singles and doubles titles while transforming the sport with their achievements and influence.
Although their comeback ended in defeat, the Williams sisters’ appearance provided fans with a nostalgic night and another opportunity to witness one of tennis’ most iconic partnerships on the US Open stage. (ANI)
