(September 4, 2026) FLUSHING MEADOWS, NY – For the first time in four years, Serena, 44, and Venus Williams, 46, returned to play doubles at the US Open on Friday night. The sisters battled back from 4-1 down in the final set, but fell short, blowing a 5-0 lead in the final set tiebreaker and losing 6-3, 6-7 (6), 7-6 (10-7) on Friday night to the No. 14 seeds Hao-Ching Chan and Maya Joint in a three-hour and two-minute match.
This is the second time in a few months that Serena has lost to Joint. She lost to the Australian in the first round of singles at Wimbledon, her first singles match since the 2022 US Open. The sisters were forced to withdraw from the Wimbledon doubles draw after Serena sustained a knee injury during her match with Jabeur.
Venus lost in the first round of singles on Monday night to former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin.
The United States Tennis Association announced to the media that the sisters would not be available for press tonight.
The sisters have won 14 major doubles titles along with Olympic gold medals in 2000, 2008 and 2012. They once shared the No. 1 ranking in women’s doubles for eight weeks.
“Being able to play against such legends of the game is super special,” said Joint on court.
“I’m lost for words to think of it,” she said. “She’s my idol, both of them. I grew up in Michigan so I always looked up to them. Being able to play them twice is amazing.”
The Williams sisters came into the US Open after playing in Cincinnati.
“I think the crowd is pretty much what we expected,” Joint said pro Williams crowd. “We expected a full stadium, and everyone cheering them, and it was pretty much that. But the atmosphere is super special. You’re not really going to get that again with many other players.”
“I felt relieved,” Joint said after the match. “I was very nervous. I was very stressed during the match, especially the second and third sets. Especially at the net, my movement, I felt like I wasn’t really doing anything, and I didn’t go for a volley. I was hesitant.”
It’s the second super tiebreak loss for Serena and Venus in as many matches, in Cincinnati last month; they lost to Marta Kostyuk and Peyton Stearns.
Chan and Joint will play the unseeded team of Tamara Korpatsch and Nicole Fossa Huergo in the second round.
