Serena and Venus Williams were eliminated in the first round of the US Open women's doubles tournament on Friday night, falling to Maya Joint and Chan Hao-Ching in a match that extended over three hours. The iconic sisters, who accepted a wildcard into the draw, lost the contest with a final score of 3-6, 7-6(6), 6-7(7).
The defeat came after the Williams sisters held a commanding 5-0 lead in the decisive 10-point tiebreaker, only for Joint and Hao-Ching to mount a comeback.
Match Details
The match, held on Arthur Ashe Stadium, saw the Williams sisters receive a strong ovation from the crowd. Serena, making a return to competition after a four-year hiatus, entered the court wearing a bomber jacket adorned with the years she had won singles and doubles titles at the US Open. Their opponents, Joint and Hao-Ching, are a more recent pairing, having reached a final together in Memphis in July.
Joint, an Australian world No. 72, had previously faced Serena in singles at Wimbledon earlier in the summer, where she secured a three-set victory. In the doubles match, the pair demonstrated composure against the highly experienced sisters. After an early break by Joint and Hao-Ching, the Williams sisters fought back to level the match by winning the second set in a tiebreaker. They converted their third set point with a thunderous backhand from Serena, ultimately taking the set 7-6(6).
The third set mirrored the second in its competitiveness, with both pairs holding serve for much of the set. The Williams sisters managed to break back and force another tiebreaker. However, despite holding an early advantage, they were unable to close out the match, ultimately losing the decider 7-6(7) to their opponents.
Venus and Serena, aged 46 and 44 respectively, proved they could still compete at a high level, but their campaign in the US Open doubles ended in the first round. This appearance marked their first time partnering at the US Open in four years.