The Williams sisters’ return to doubles competition at the U.S. Open ended Friday night in heartbreak, as Serena and Venus fell to Maya Joint and Hao-Ching Chan in a grueling three-set match that lasted more than three hours at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The final score of 6-3, 6-7 (6), 7-6 (10-8) tells only part of the story of what transpired on the court. After dropping the first set, the Williams sisters mounted a remarkable comeback, forcing two tiebreakers and demonstrating the competitive fire that has defined their legendary careers. Yet in the end, they could not overcome the 14th-seeded duo of Joint and Chan.
The match’s most agonizing moment came in the final tiebreaker, where the sisters held a commanding 5-0 lead only to watch it slip away. They had clawed back from a 4-1 deficit in the third set to force the decisive tiebreaker, but ultimately fell short in the 10-point format.
This marked the 44-year-old Serena’s second consecutive loss to Joint this summer. The Australian defeated her at Wimbledon in July during Serena’s return to singles play after a four-year absence from competition. The sisters had planned to play doubles at Wimbledon as well, but were forced to withdraw when Serena injured her knee.
The Williams sisters have now suffered two particularly painful defeats this year, having also lost in a match tiebreaker at the Cincinnati Open. Their record at the U.S. Open doubles tournament remains impressive at 27-8 across ten appearances, with championships in 1999 and 2009. Their last appearance together at Flushing Meadows came in 2022, when they lost in the first round in what many anticipated would be Serena’s farewell match at the venue.
The occasion drew considerable attention from the tennis community. Nine-time Grand Slam doubles champion Bethanie Mattek-Sands had predicted the pressure would favor the Williams sisters, noting the intimidating atmosphere of facing them in a night match before the New York crowd.
The weekend brought additional disappointment for Venus, who at 46 years old lost her singles match to fellow American Sofia Kenin early Monday morning. The 6-2, 7-6 (6) defeat extended Venus’s losing streak to 15 consecutive singles matches, dating back to her last victory in Washington in July 2025. She has now lost six straight singles matches at the U.S. Open since her last first-round victory in 2019.
When asked about her future in tennis following the singles loss, Venus declined to engage in speculation. She told reporters her focus remained on recovery and preparation for the doubles match ahead.
Serena had also competed in mixed doubles this year, partnering with Carlos Alcaraz before their elimination in the quarterfinals by Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli.
The Williams sisters’ impact on tennis remains undeniable, even as questions about their competitive futures persist. Their performance Friday night, particularly the resilience shown in mounting their comeback, offered evidence that their competitive spirit endures, regardless of what the scoreboards may indicate.
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