The much-anticipated return of Serena and Venus Williams to the US Open doubles court ended in heartbreak on Friday night after the sisters surrendered a commanding lead in the deciding tiebreak.
The Williams sisters battled for more than three hours at Arthur Ashe Stadium, but eventually lost their first-round encounter to Taiwan’s Hao-Ching Chan and Australia’s Maya Joint.
Williams sisters suffer dramatic US Open exit
Playing together at Flushing Meadows for the first time since 2022, Serena and Venus produced a spirited performance against opponents who were nearly half their combined age.
The sisters won the opening set 6-3 before Chan and Joint fought back to take the second set in a tiebreak.
The match was ultimately decided by a 10-point final tiebreak, where the Williams sisters appeared to be in control after racing into a 5-0 lead.
However, Chan and Joint staged a remarkable comeback to turn the match around and secure a 10-7 victory in the deciding tiebreak.
The final score was 6-3, 6-7 (6), 7-6 (10-7) in favour of Chan and Joint.
Arthur Ashe Stadium welcomes tennis legends
The atmosphere inside Arthur Ashe Stadium was electric as fans welcomed Serena and Venus back to the US Open doubles court.
Supporters held up signs celebrating the sisters, including one that read, “Welcome to the Williams Show.”
The appearance marked a nostalgic return to the venue where the sisters have created some of the most memorable moments in tennis.
They had last played doubles together at the US Open in 2022, when they also exited in the first round.
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Maya Joint praises Williams sisters
Despite defeating the legendary pair, Joint paid tribute to Serena and Venus during her post-match on-court interview.
She described the contest as an amazing match and praised the sisters for their performance and the atmosphere inside the stadium.
Joint said playing against the two tennis legends was a “super special moment”, adding that she and Chan might not experience an occasion like it again.
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Serena and Venus leave court smiling
The Williams sisters did not speak to the media after their defeat and instead left the court smiling.
Their latest US Open appearance came four years after their previous doubles outing at Flushing Meadows.
Serena stepped away from professional tennis in 2022 after an extraordinary career that included 23 Grand Slam singles titles.
The sisters’ return nevertheless provided another memorable night for tennis fans, even though their US Open campaign ended earlier than hoped.
