MASON, Ohio — Serena and Venus Williams teamed up in a doubles match for the first time in nearly four years on Monday night, but the sisters’ reunion was short as they fell in the opening round of the Cincinnati Open.
The sisters, who last teamed up during the 2022 U.S. Open, looked rusty against Marta Kostyuk and Peyton Stearns, losing 6-2, 1-6, 10-8, The New York Times reported. However, the siblings gave the crowd a thrill as they rallied from a 6-0 deficit in the deciding 10-point tiebreaker, according to the newspaper.
The sisters’ rally fell short when Venus Williams committed a double fault in the tiebreaker, according to The Associated Press.
The year is 2026.
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) August 18, 2026
Serena and Venus Williams are STILL cooking.
44 and 46 years of age.
GOATS age like fine wine. 🍷🍷
😮💨😮💨😮💨😮💨 pic.twitter.com/DFAhsd21MO
It was just Serena Williams’ fourth match, and her first on a hard court, since she returned to competitive pro tennis earlier this summer, the Times reported.
It was the siblings’ first doubles match in a non-Grand Slam event since the 2016 Italian Open, according to the AP.
“We’ve waited a long time to get back on the doubles court. Eventually, we find our way to each other,” Venus Williams, 46, told reporters during a post-match news conference. “We give each other so much grace and encouragement. This is our first time playing together in forever, and I think we’re really getting (into) our stride.”
The Williams sisters have won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles as a team.
“Obviously I wanted to do the best that I could do, but I think having fun and also just seeing how we are and how we feel out there,” Serena Williams, 44, told reporters. “Being out there with the fans, too, is just really good to give them another opportunity to see us play. It was just really cool.”
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