Venus and Serena Williams ousted from US Open following doubles battle
NEW YORK — Venus and Serena Williams’ highly anticipated return to the US Open ended in dramatic fashion Friday night, as the legendary sisters fell to No. 14 seeds Maya Joint of Australia and Hao-Ching Chan of Chinese Taipei – in a marathon first-round doubles match.
Playing before a packed and heavily partisan crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium, the Williams sisters battled for three hours and two minutes before Joint and Chan prevailed 6-3, 6-7 (6), 7-6 (10-7).
The deciding moment came in the 10-point match tiebreak. Venus and Serena appeared to be in control after racing to a 5-0 lead, but Joint and Chan mounted a stunning comeback. Both Williams sisters committed double faults during the tiebreak, and the younger team eventually closed out the match.
Despite the loss, the sisters produced stretches of vintage tennis, forcing the match into a deciding set after winning the second-set tiebreak. The defeat ended their first US Open doubles appearance together since 2022.
For Joint, 20, and Chan, the victory was both a major competitive achievement and a remarkable introduction to the biggest stage in tennis. Joint said playing against the two legends in front of such a crowd was an experience she and Chan might never get again.
The Williams sisters entered the tournament as wild cards for their 10th US Open appearance as doubles partners. Together, they have won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles and three Olympic gold medals, while sharing the No. 1 doubles ranking for eight weeks.
Their return also generated enormous attention beyond the doubles competition. Serena had returned to competitive tennis this summer, while Venus also entered the US Open singles draw, losing in the first round to American Sofia Kenin.
Serena additionally teamed with Carlos Alcaraz in mixed doubles. The pair won their opening match before being eliminated in the next round by No. 4 seeds Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli.
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Press-conference controversy? The sisters’ elimination generated a second controversy after the match when they did not appear for the post-match news conference. Yahoo! Sports reported that tennis fans criticized the decision, with some questioning whether players who skip mandatory media obligations should face penalties. ESPN likewise reported that the sisters declined to speak with media following the loss.
The controversy comes against the backdrop of what was otherwise a celebratory night for the Williams sisters, whose appearance transformed a first-round doubles match into one of the most heavily anticipated events of the tournament.
For now, the question is whether Friday’s emotional night at Arthur Ashe marked the sisters’ final US Open appearance together.
There is no confirmed announcement of what comes next for Venus and Serena as a doubles team, leaving open the possibility that their celebrated partnership could return—or that their latest US Open appearance was their farewell.
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(Sources: USA Today, ESPN, Yahoo! Sports)
Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today
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