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Venus and Serena Williams fall in three-set thriller in US Open return
ReVenus and Serena Williams fall in three-set thriller in US Open return
The Williams sisters made their long-awaited return to the US Open doubles court Friday night, but fell to Chan Hao-ching and Maya Joint in a dramatic three-set match at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Venus and Serena Williams returned to the US Open court together for the first time in four years Friday night, but their highly anticipated comeback ended in a heartbreaking three-set loss to Taiwan's Chan Hao-ching and Australia's Maya Joint.
The legendary sisters walked onto Arthur Ashe Stadium to a massive ovation from the crowd, marking their first Grand Slam appearance as a pair since 2022. The reunion was originally scheduled for Wimbledon earlier this summer, but Serena — who at 44 is in the midst of a comeback after several years away from the sport — was forced to withdraw due to injury.
Serena's jacket listed her US Open titles, including the pair of doubles championships she and Venus won together in 1999 and 2009. Their opponents Friday night were a relatively new pairing, competing in only their fourth event together. Joint, at 20 years old, was just a toddler when the Williams sisters captured their second US Open doubles title.
The first set was competitive early, but Chan and Joint pulled ahead to take it 6-3. The Williams sisters responded by starting the second set strong, pushing the frame to a seven-point tie-breaker. Venus and Serena held multiple opportunities to close out the set, but their opponents fought back each time. The sisters eventually clinched the set to force a decider.
Throughout the match, the crowd's support was unmistakably behind the Williams sisters, with fans erupting after nearly every point they won. The tennis greats battled back against the impressive pairing to force a decisive tie-breaker in the final set, taking the first five points in a row to jump out to an early lead. Joint and Chan responded by taking the next three points, then battled back to seize the lead and ultimately walk away with the victory.
The match lasted just over three hours, ending with a final score of 6-3, 6-7(6), 7-6(10). Despite the loss, the performance demonstrated that the Williams sisters — already considered among the greatest players in the history of the sport — remain a formidable force on the court.
