Serena and Venus Williams returned to U.S. Open women's doubles for the first time in four years and lost in a thrilling three-set match on Friday night at Arthur Ashe Stadium. The No. 14-seeded duo Maya Joint and Hao-Ching Chan won 6-3, 6-7 (6), 7-6 (10-8) to advance past the Williams sisters. Serena returned to competition this year after four years out of action, while Venus is playing in what may be her final singles match at a Grand Slam tournament. The Williams sisters are now 27-9 in their appearances at the U.S. Open women's doubles.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-05,
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Story summary
Serena and Venus Williams, two of the world's top tennis players, are returning to the U.S. Open women's doubles tournament tonight in New York. This is their first time playing together at the U.S. Open in four years. They will face off against the team of Maya Joint, who previously beat Serena Williams at Wimbledon this summer, and Hao-Ching Chan in the first round. The 46-year-old Venus has been competing with her sister for many years, while Serena, 44, returned to tennis this year after a four-year hiatus. The sisters have won the U.S. Open women's doubles championship twice before, in 1999 and 2009, and have a strong record of 27-7 in their nine tournament appearances. Tonight's match is expected to be intense, with Bethanie Mattek-Sands predicting that the Williams sisters will be a tough opponent due to the electric atmosphere at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Written for “Serena Williams Returns US Open” on 2026-09-05,
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No political leaning scored for article 3773 · logged 2026-09-05
Playing together at the U.S. Open in New York for the first time in four years, Serena and Venus Williams on Friday night lost in a thriller three-set match in the first round of the women's doubles tournament, one that saw them take center stage at Arthur Ashe Stadium for more than three hours.
asserted
them → play → hours
After dropping the first set, the Williams sisters mounted an epic comeback, forcing two tiebreakers, but fell short to the duo Maya Joint — who had beaten Serena Williams at Wimbledon this summer — and Hao-Ching Chan, 6-3, 6-7 (6), 7-6 (10-8).
asserted
who → drop → Wimbledon
The sisters blew a 5-0 lead in the 10-point tiebreaker after battling back from 4-1 down in the third set to tie it.
asserted
sisters → blow → it
Joint and Chan are the No. 14-seeded team.
asserted
Joint → seed → ?
The 44-year-old Serena returned to the sport this year after four years out of action.
asserted
Serena → return → action
This marked her second loss to Joint this summer.
asserted
This → mark → Joint
She fell to the Australian in three sets at Wimbledon in her return to singles play, and she and Venus then had to
after Serena hurt her knee.
asserted
Serena → fall → knee
Serena has two heartbreaking defeats with her older sister this year.
asserted
Serena → have → sister
They also lost in a match tiebreaker at the Cincinnati Open.
asserted
They → lose → Open
The Williams sisters won the U.S. Open women's doubles championship in 1999 and 2009 and are 27-8 in their ten appearances.
asserted
sisters → win → appearances
They
, losing in the first round in what was expected to be Serena's final match in Flushing Meadows.
asserted
what → lose → Meadows
Going into Friday, nine-time Grand Slam doubles champion Bethanie Mattek-Sands thought they would be a little intimidated by the Williams sisters.
asserted
they → go → sisters
"I mean, the night match against the Williams sisters with the New York crowd, it's going to be tough," Mattek-Sands told CBS News.
asserted
Sands → mean → News
Early Monday morning, the 46-year-old Venus bowed out of her 26th singles appearance at Flushing Meadows, falling in straight sets to fellow American wild card Sofia Kenin after not getting on the court until midnight.
asserted
Venus → bow → midnight
She lost 6-2, 7-6 (6) in what could be her final singles match at a Grand Slam, if not her illustrious career.
uncertain
what → lose → Slam
It was her 15th consecutive singles defeat dating back to her last victory in Washington in July 2025.
asserted
It → date → July
Prior to Friday, Venus had lost six singles matches in a row at the U.S. Open since winning in the first round in 2019.
asserted
Venus → lose → 2019
Ahead of the doubles match, Venus was not ready to contemplate her future in tennis.
asserted
Venus → contemplate → tennis
"I don't think I should have to," she told a small group of reporters after the match.
asserted
she → think → match
"My mind is fully focused on that: how I recover from this completely insane evening and get ready for the next one.
asserted
I → recover → one
