Serena Williams reportedly left the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center shortly after her first-round doubles match defeat at the US Open last week, according to a tennis insider. The departure allegedly occurred without her sister and doubles partner, Venus Williams, and resulted in both players missing mandatory post-match media obligations.
The Williams sisters lost their opening-round doubles match to Maya Joint and Chan Hao-ching in a three-hour contest on Friday night. Following the loss, Serena Williams is said to have left the venue promptly. Ben Rothenberg, a tennis insider, reported that Williams "fled the scene" and entered a waiting car, leaving Venus to head to the locker room.
This hurried exit meant that neither Serena nor Venus Williams appeared for the customary post-match press conference, despite requests from multiple media members. Under Grand Slam rules, players are obligated to attend such briefings, with potential fines of up to $50,000 for non-compliance, unless reasonable grounds such as illness or injury are provided.
However, the US Open confirmed on Saturday that neither player would be fined. This incident follows a similar situation at Wimbledon in July, where Serena Williams also appeared to skip press duties after a singles loss. At the time, she stated she had "tweaked" her knee, an issue that later led to her withdrawal from a scheduled doubles match with Venus at that tournament.
Serena and Venus Williams were partnering at the US Open for the first time in four years. They received a wildcard entry into the doubles draw. Venus Williams had previously spoken to the press after her first-round singles exit. Serena Williams also competed in the mixed doubles event, partnering with Carlos Alcaraz, and they reached the quarterfinals.
The sisters, who have collectively won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles and three Olympic gold medals, pushed their opponents to three sets before ultimately losing 6-3, 6-7(6), 7-6(7). Despite securing a lead in the final set tiebreak, unforced errors contributed to their defeat.
