Serena and Venus Williams’ US Open Return Ends in Heartbreak After Blown 5-0 Lead

Serena and Venus Williams were once again the main attraction in the U.S. Open, but their long-awaited return to the Grand Slam doubles stage ended in a heartbreaking defeat after the sisters squandered a 5-0 lead in the deciding match tiebreak. Playing together at the tournament for the first time since 2022, the sisters lost 6-3, 6-7(6), 7-6(10-7) to Hao-Ching Chan and Maya Joint on Friday night at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

The three-hour thriller saw the Williams sisters recover from 4-1 down in the third set before taking a 5-0 lead in the deciding tiebreak. Chan and Joint, however, won 10 of the final 12 points to seal victory. The match drew around 23,000 spectators, an extraordinary turnout for first-round doubles and another reflection of the sisters’ enduring popularity.

The appearance was particularly significant for Serena Williams, 44, who returned to competitive tennis in 2026 after nearly four years away. Her comeback began in doubles at Queen’s Club with Victoria Mboko before she returned to singles at Wimbledon, where Maya Joint defeated her in three sets. Serena later suffered a right-knee issue that forced her and Venus to withdraw from their planned Wimbledon doubles match. The sisters reunited at Cincinnati before receiving a U.S. Open wild card.

Serena had also partnered defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in mixed doubles in New York, reaching the quarterfinals. After defeating Wu Yibing 6-3, 6-4, 6-1, Alcaraz said watching the Williams sisters play was his preferred plan while receiving treatment. He next faces Tommy Paul.

The Williams partnership remains historic, with 14 Grand Slam doubles titles, three Olympic gold medals and eight weeks as joint No. 1. Their U.S. Open doubles record is 27-6, with titles in 1999 and 2009.

Elsewhere, world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka defeated Kamilla Rakhimova 6-3, 6-4 despite being distracted by the smell of marijuana. She faces Taylor Townsend next while seeking a third straight U.S. Open title. Jessica Pegula rallied past Leylah Fernandez, while Daniil Medvedev, Frances Tiafoe and Stefanos Tsitsipas also advanced.