Serena and Venus Williams Lose US Open Doubles Opener in Match Tiebreak

A commanding lead vanished in minutes as the legendary American pair fought to keep their comeback alive on the sport's biggest stage. Serena and Venus Williams lost their first match at the US Open since 2022. In their first-round match, the sisters fell to Hao-Ching Chan and Maya Joint in a match tiebreak, 6:3, 6:7 (6), 7:6 (10:7). As noted by CNN The Williams sisters fought back from 1:4 down in the third set and took the match to a 10-point tiebreak. The Americans quickly raced to a 5:0 lead but were unable to hold on. Serena and Venus committed double faults at crucial moments, which affected the outcome of the match. I don't think there's a better plan than watching the Williams sisters play doubles during a recovery session. I'll definitely be ready to watch it. – Carlos Alcaraz Serena and Venus Williams return to a Grand Slam tournament The match was played during the evening session on Arthur Ashe Stadium's center court. Such a time slot is unusual for a first-round doubles match. Serena returned to tennis this year at the age of 44, while 46-year-old Venus continues to compete on tour. The Williams sisters have won the US Open doubles title twice, in 1999 and 2009. Across their 10 appearances in New York, they recorded 27 wins and eight losses. Overall, the duo has won 14 Grand Slam titles and three Olympic gold medals – in 2000, 2008, and 2012. After their first-round loss at the 2022 tournament, it seemed that the sisters' match together might have been their last. Serena retired that same year with 23 Grand Slam singles titles, but returned to the court this summer. This defeat was the Williams sisters' second consecutive loss in a match tiebreak. Before competing in New York, they also lost a match tiebreak at the tournament in Cincinnati. For Serena, it was her second loss to Maya Joint this summer. The Australian defeated the American in three sets at Wimbledon as Serena returned to singles competition. After that match, Serena and Venus withdrew from the doubles tournament because of a knee injury to Serena. Venus also exited in the first round of the singles event. Results from other matches Aryna Sabalenka defeated Camila Rakhimova 6:3, 6:4. Carlos Alcaraz beat Wu Yibing 6:3, 6:4, 6:1. Tommy Paul defeated Alexander Bublik in five sets. Sabalenka is aiming to become the first player since Serena Williams to win the US Open three years in a row. In the next round, she will face Taylor Townsend. Alcaraz will meet Tommy Paul for a place in the quarterfinals.