Serena and Venus Williams Lose US Open Doubles Thriller in Match Tiebreak/ TezzBuzz/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Serena and Venus Williams lost to Hao-Ching Chan and Maya Joint in a dramatic first-round doubles match at the U.S. Open. The sisters rallied to force a deciding match tiebreak and led 5-0 before falling 6-3, 6-7 (6), 7-6 (10-7). Aryna Sabalenka, Carlos Alcaraz, Jessica Pegula and Frances Tiafoe were among the singles players advancing to the fourth round.
Quick Look
- The Williams sisters played their first U.S. Open match together since 2022.
- Chan and Joint won 6-3, 6-7 (6), 7-6 (10-7).
- Serena and Venus surrendered a 5-0 lead in the match tiebreak.
- The three-hour match was staged at night in Arthur Ashe Stadium.
- The sisters have won 14 Grand Slam doubles championships.
- Sabalenka defeated Kamilla Rakhimova in straight sets.
- Alcaraz advanced with a straight-sets win over Wu Yibing.
- Pegula rallied from a set down against Leylah Fernandez.
- Townsend advanced to face Sabalenka.
- Tiafoe set up a fourth-round meeting with Daniil Medvedev.
Deep Look
Williams Sisters Fall in Dramatic Return
NEW YORK — Serena and Venus Williams staged a spirited comeback in their return to the U.S. Open but could not convert a commanding lead in the deciding match tiebreak.
Hao-Ching Chan and Maya Joint defeated the sisters 6-3, 6-7 (6), 7-6 (10-7) Friday night in a first-round match that lasted more than three hours.
Serena and Venus recovered from a 4-1 deficit late in the deciding set and opened a 5-0 advantage in the match tiebreak. Both sisters then committed double faults as Chan and Joint fought back to secure the victory.
The match marked the Williams sisters’ first Grand Slam appearance together since the 2022 U.S. Open.
Arthur Ashe Crowd Backs Serena and Venus
First-round doubles matches rarely receive a place in the Arthur Ashe Stadium night session, but the Williams sisters again became the tournament’s main attraction.
The crowd strongly supported the American pair throughout the contest, creating an atmosphere Joint said she was unlikely to experience often.
“I think the crowd is pretty much what we expected. We expected a full stadium, everyone cheering for them, which, pretty much was that,” Joint said. “But the atmosphere is something that, yeah, it’s super special. Not really going to get again with many other players.”
The U.S. Tennis Association said Serena and Venus would not be available to speak with reporters after the match.
Alcaraz Plans Treatment Around Their Match
Defending men’s champion Carlos Alcaraz was among those eager to watch the sisters compete.
“I think there is no better plan (than) to watch the doubles, the Williamses once again, while getting a treatment,” Alcaraz said after winning his singles match. “I’m going to be ready for that.”
Alcaraz returned to the fourth round by defeating Wu Yibing 6-3, 6-4, 6-1.
The two-time U.S. Open champion is competing after missing four months with a right wrist injury. His level through the opening three rounds has exceeded his expectations.
“To be honest I’m better than I thought,” Alcaraz said.
He will next face No. 20 seed Tommy Paul, who defeated No. 15 Alexander Bublik in five sets.
Williams Sisters Add Another Close Defeat
Serena, 44, returned to competitive tennis during the 2026 season after stepping away from the sport in 2022. Venus, 46, has continued playing on tour.
The sisters also lost a deciding match tiebreak at the Cincinnati Open earlier this summer.
They had planned to compete together at Wimbledon, but Serena withdrew from doubles after injuring her knee during a three-set singles loss to Joint.
Friday’s result gave Joint a second victory over Serena during the summer.
Venus also exited the U.S. Open singles competition in the opening round.
Historic Partnership Remains Formidable
Serena and Venus were once the dominant partnership in women’s doubles.
They won 14 Grand Slam doubles championships and Olympic gold medals in 2000, 2008 and 2012. They also shared the world No. 1 doubles ranking for eight weeks.
The sisters won the U.S. Open doubles title in 1999 and 2009. They now hold a 27-8 record across 10 appearances together at the tournament.
Their first-round defeat in 2022 had appeared likely to be their final match as a team before Serena launched her comeback.
Sabalenka Advances Despite Difficult Second Set
Two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka defeated Kamilla Rakhimova 6-3, 6-4 to reach the round of 16.
The top seed faced her strongest challenge of the tournament during a second set lasting 54 minutes — one minute longer than her entire previous match.
Sabalenka is attempting to become the first woman to win three consecutive U.S. Open singles championships since Serena captured the tournament from 2012 through 2014.
She will face Taylor Townsend in the fourth round.
Marijuana Smell Interrupts Sabalenka
Sabalenka briefly stopped during the third game of her match at Louis Armstrong Stadium after detecting the smell of marijuana.
She abandoned two service tosses before approaching the chair umpire to seek assistance.
“I was like, guys, you can do whatever, you can smoke whatever, you can relax as much as you can, but please, do not do it around the tennis courts,” Sabalenka said. “It’s a bit tricky to handle that smell while you’re trying to compete at your best.”
She regained her concentration and completed the straight-sets victory.
Pegula Recovers From Difficult Start
Third-seeded Jessica Pegula rallied to defeat 2021 finalist Leylah Fernandez 1-6, 6-4, 6-3.
Pegula landed only five of 16 first serves during a poor opening set but gradually adjusted to Fernandez’s varied style.
“I didn’t start off very well. It was tough,” Pegula said. “I had to dig deep there in the second to turn that around, and it very well could have not turned around.”
Pegula, the 2024 runner-up and a semifinalist last year, will face Sorana Cirstea next.
The 36-year-old Romanian, who is considering retirement after the season, defeated No. 19 Jasmine Paolini 6-3, 6-3.
Townsend Ready for Sabalenka Test
Townsend reached the fourth round for the second consecutive year by beating No. 15 Diana Shnaider 6-2, 6-7 (3), 6-3.
“I’m so excited. I feel like I thrive in these moments,” Townsend said of facing Sabalenka. “I’m built for these moments and so now is my time, I’m ready to take it. I’m ready to go.”
Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova and No. 11 Marta Kostyuk also advanced, setting up a rematch of their semifinal at the All England Club.
No. 26 Emma Navarro produced a notable upset by eliminating seventh-seeded Karolina Muchova.
Medvedev and Tiafoe Set Fourth-Round Meeting
Daniil Medvedev, the 2021 U.S. Open champion, defeated Arthur Rinderknech 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.
The seventh seed will next play No. 11 Frances Tiafoe, who advanced with a 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 victory over No. 22 Valentin Vacherot.
Stefanos Tsitsipas also reached the U.S. Open fourth round for the first time by defeating No. 18 Jiri Lehecka.
Tsitsipas will face No. 8 Ben Shelton, who defeated Denis Shapovalov 7-6 (3), 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-4.
Their match ended at 2:07 a.m., making it the record third match during this edition of the tournament to finish after 2 a.m.
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