Williams sisters fall in thrilling comeback match at Cincinnati Open
Venus and Serena Williams reunited on court for the first time since 2022, but their doubles return ended in a narrow 2-6, 6-1, 10-8 defeat to Marta Kostyuk and Peyton Stearns at the WTA 1000 tournament in Ohio.
Williams sisters fall in thrilling comeback match at Cincinnati Open
Venus and Serena Williams captivated fans at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio, as they returned to doubles competition together for the first time in four years, but the legendary duo fell just short in a thrilling encounter, losing 2-6, 6-1, 10-8 to Marta Kostyuk and Peyton Stearns.
The American sisters, who boast a remarkable 14 Grand Slam doubles titles together and remain undefeated with a perfect 14-0 record in Grand Slam doubles finals—the best unbeaten mark in Grand Slam finals across all tennis disciplines—last played doubles together at the 2022 US Open. That tournament marked Serena's final appearance before she announced her evolution away from professional tennis in a Vogue essay, choosing that word rather than retirement to describe her transition.
Recent comeback attempts
The 46-year-old Venus has continued competing sporadically, while Serena made her singles comeback at Wimbledon this year as a wildcard. However, a knee injury during her first-round defeat to Maya Joint forced her withdrawal from planned doubles action alongside Venus at the All England Club.
Playing together for the first time since that Wimbledon setback, the sisters struggled early against their opponents, dropping the opening set badly. Serena acknowledged they were working through some rust after such a long absence from doubles competition.
Dramatic comeback falls short
The second set saw a dramatic turnaround as the Williams sisters rediscovered their rhythm, dominating 6-1 to force a deciding 10-point tiebreak. Despite falling behind 6-0 in the breaker, they mounted a spectacular comeback. Two powerful service winners from Serena helped level the score, electrifying the packed crowd who had come to witness the return of one of tennis's most successful partnerships.
The sisters, who won three Olympic gold medals together at Sydney 2000, Beijing 2008, and London 2012, and captured their last Grand Slam doubles title at Wimbledon in 2016, fought tenaciously but ultimately could not complete the comeback. Kostyuk and Stearns held their nerve at the crucial moment, sealing victory when Venus double-faulted on match point.
Emotional reflections
In an emotional post-match interview, Venus reflected on their reunion.
We've waited a long time to get back on the doubles court. Eventually, we find our way to each other. We give each other so much grace and encouragement. This is our first time playing together in forever, and I think we're really getting into our stride.
Serena, competing for the first time since Wimbledon, echoed her sister's sentiments.
It was fun, it was special, it was good. We were starting to feel it. It was really cool to be able to do this again.
Venus, a seven-time Grand Slam singles champion with 49 WTA singles titles who became the first African-American woman to reach World No. 1 in the Open Era in 2002, had already competed in singles and doubles at three hard-court tournaments over recent weeks leading into Cincinnati.
The sisters will need wildcards if they hope to extend their partnership at the US Open, with the main draw beginning on Sunday, August 30. Whether they choose to compete together at Flushing Meadows remains to be seen, but their performance in Cincinnati showed glimpses of the magic that made them one of the greatest doubles teams in tennis history.
