Serena and Venus Williams Lose US Open Doubles Thriller

Serena and Venus Williams fell to Chan Hao-ching and Maya Joint in a dramatic US Open women’s doubles return on Friday, losing 6-3, 6-7 (6/8), 7-6 (10/7) at Arthur Ashe Stadium. The Williams sisters recovered from a set down, then led the deciding 10-point tiebreaker 5-0 before Chan and Joint produced a late fightback to secure victory.

The match marked the sisters’ return to Grand Slam doubles for the first time since the 2022 US Open. Their defeat came after a contest filled with momentum swings, including a second-set response in which Serena and Venus Williams held serve throughout and struck 20 winners.

Williams sisters rally before decisive tiebreak reversal

Chan and Joint took the opening set 6-3, putting the returning Williams pair under immediate pressure. Serena and Venus responded in the second set, taking it to a tiebreak after maintaining their service games.

The sisters levelled the match by winning that tiebreak 8-6. The set ended when Joint sent an overhead long, prompting loud celebrations from the crowd at Ashe Stadium. Serena Williams was particularly dangerous at the net during the match, although her serve was also a difficult area.

In the deciding set, Chan and Joint regained control and moved 4-2 ahead. Serena and Venus Williams rallied from that break deficit to force a deciding 10-point tiebreak, extending an already tense contest and giving themselves an opportunity to complete the comeback.

The sisters made the stronger start in the match tiebreak, racing into a 5-0 lead. However, Chan and Joint regrouped and fought back superbly, overturning that advantage to win the decider 10-7 and close out the three-set victory.

The final score reflected the narrow margins of the contest: Chan and Joint won the first set 6-3, the Williams sisters took the second 7-6 with an 8-6 tiebreak, and the winners prevailed through the final-set match tiebreak after the set reached 6-6.

A notable Grand Slam doubles return at Flushing Meadows

The result ended a high-profile return for Serena and Venus Williams, whose 14 Grand Slam doubles titles include two US Open crowns. The pair last won a title together at Roland Garros in 2018 and had not played Grand Slam doubles since their appearance at the 2022 US Open.

For Serena Williams, the match was also her first return to the courts of Flushing Meadows since that 2022 tournament. The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion had returned to major singles competition as a Wimbledon wild card four years after saying she was “evolving away” from the game.

Joint had previously faced Serena Williams at Wimbledon, losing to her in a Centre Court match. After Friday’s doubles encounter, Joint said the experience of playing the Williams sisters in Arthur Ashe Stadium stood out.

“The atmosphere was surreal,” Joint said. “Being able to play aginst such legends of the game is super special.”

Serena and Venus Williams received a thunderous ovation when they entered the court in understated white outfits. Their volleys and overheads drew raucous support throughout, while their 5-0 burst at the start of the deciding tiebreak brought the noise inside the stadium to another level. But Chan and Joint ultimately delivered the final turnaround, ending the sisters’ US Open doubles comeback in a thriller.