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Williams Sisters' US Open Doubles Return Ends in Thrilling Loss
Confirmed
In Short: The Williams sisters' highly anticipated return to Grand Slam doubles at the US Open ended in a three-set thriller, with Maya Joint and Chan Hao-ching prevailing 6-3, 6-7 (6), 7-6 (10-7).
NEW YORK: A roaring Arthur Ashe Stadium welcomed Serena and Venus Williams back to Grand Slam doubles, but the sisters' comeback ended in heartbreak. The match, which lasted three hours, saw the Williams sisters fight back from a set down and force a 10-point match tiebreaker. Despite leading 5-0 in the decisive set, they ultimately fell short, ending their hopes of extending their doubles title at the tournament.
The appearance marked another chapter in the sisters' return to competitive doubles, coming after months of anticipation and a delay due to Serena's knee injury. Their next opportunity came at the Cincinnati Open, where they accepted a wild card and returned to the doubles court together.
The official US Open account on X paid tribute to the sisters, posting a video of them waving to the crowd as they departed the court, stating, 'No matter the result, always good to see Serena and Venus competing 💙.' The match was a reminder of their enduring legacy in women's tennis, having won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles together, including two US Open championships.
Serena returned to competitive tennis this year at 44, while Venus, 46, has continued to compete on tour. Their return to the US Open stage, 27 years after their first win, was a testament to their enduring partnership and the excitement they continue to bring to the sport.
What's confirmed
What's still developing
- With the match heading into the decisive tiebreak, the Williams sisters appeared to have seized control after establishing a 5-0 advantage.
- Coco Gauff has reached the fourth round at a Grand Slam for the 19th time Coco Gauff marched into the fourth round of the US Open but compatriots Amanda Anisimova and Madison Keys exited on a mixed day for home hopes in New York.
- Zheng goes from 5-0 and match point down to victory Fritz and Cobolli shocked as men's seeds tumble Despite the weight of expectation that she has had to deal with from a young age at her home major, the 22-year-old Gauff is through to the second week at the US Open for a fifth successive year.
- Gauff, who became the first American teenager to win the US Open since Serena Williams in 1999 with her breakthrough major success three years ago, heads into the fourth round as the form player in the women's game.
- Victory over Bucsa was the 2025 French Open winner's eighth straight-set WTA Tour-level win in a row.
- The fourth round is where Gauff's US Open challenge ended in the previous two editions, and she admitted that she struggled to handle the pressure last year.
- But the 2025 Australian Open winner would miss a match point and lose each of the final seven games in a 1-6 7-6 (7-3) 7-5 loss that stunned the crowd.
- The sisters appeared on the verge of completing the comeback after battling back from a 4-1 deficit in the third set to level the score.