A Long-Awaited Reunion
Four years after their last match together at the 2022 US Open, Venus and Serena Williams stepped back onto a doubles court side by side at the Cincinnati Open, and the crowd packed in to witness every moment. The pair fell to Marta Kostyuk and Peyton Stearns by a score of 6-2, 1-6, and 10-8 in the deciding tiebreak, making for a bittersweet return to competitive doubles.
The emotional occasion was not lost on either sister. Venus, now 46, spoke warmly about the partnership, saying the two "give each other so much grace and encouragement" and that she felt they were finding their rhythm again. Serena, 44, described the experience as fun and special, acknowledging there was "a little rust" to shake off early in the match.
A Comeback Full of Drama
The sisters started slowly, dropping the opening set convincingly, before rallying strongly in the second. In the match tiebreak, things got even more tense: Kostyuk and Stearns surged to a 6-0 lead, but Serena fired back with two consecutive service winners to level the score. Ultimately, Venus delivered a double fault that handed victory to their opponents.
Context matters here. Serena had not played since her first-round singles exit at Wimbledon this summer, where a knee injury cut short her plans. Venus, meanwhile, has been more active lately, competing in singles and doubles across several hard-court events, and she reached the doubles quarterfinals at the US Open last year.
The sisters would need wildcards to compete at the upcoming US Open, which starts August 30. Their legendary partnership includes 14 Grand Slam doubles titles and three Olympic gold medals. TennisDraw users will be watching closely to see whether they receive those wildcards and make another run together in New York.
