Serena Williams, 44, and her sister Venus, 46, were defeated in their opening match at the Cincinnati Open on August 17, 2026. The pair, who won Olympic gold together in 2012, lost to Peyton Stearns and Marta Kostyuk with a final score of 6-2, 1-6, 1-0 (8).
The sisters reunited on the doubles court for the first time since the 2022 U.S. Open. Their match drew a significant crowd at the Cincinnati Open, as it marked their first appearance in a non-Grand Slam doubles event in a decade. They last competed in such an event at the 2016 Italian Open.
The 14-time Grand Slam-winning duo fought back to force a tiebreak in the deciding set, but Venus double-faulted on the final serve, sealing their exit from the tournament. The sisters concluded their participation in Cincinnati just weeks before they are expected to compete at the U.S. Open in Flushing Meadows.