Tennis legends Serena and Venus Williams suffered defeat in their return to the US Open women’s doubles after losing to Chan Hao-ching and Maya Joint in a thrilling three-set encounter on Friday.
The Williams sisters, who have won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles together, including two US Open crowns, fell 6-3, 6-7 (6/8), 7-6 (10/7) in front of a packed Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The defeat ended their comeback after the sisters had not competed together in Grand Slam doubles since the 2022 US Open.
Venus, 46, and Serena, 44, last won a doubles title together at the 2018 French Open.
After dropping the opening set, the American sisters fought back strongly in the second set and forced a tiebreak.
They produced 20 winners during the set and held their serves throughout before levelling the match when Joint sent an overhead shot long.
Serena, a 23-time Grand Slam singles champion, was particularly effective at the net, producing several powerful volleys and overhead shots.
However, she struggled at times with her serve as the match progressed.
Chan and Joint responded strongly in the deciding set, taking a 4-2 lead before the Williams sisters mounted another comeback.
The Americans then surged ahead 5-0 in the deciding 10-point tiebreaker and appeared on course to complete an extraordinary victory.
However, Chan and Joint recovered brilliantly, overturning the deficit to win the tiebreak 10-7 and seal their place in the next round.
The match marked Serena’s first appearance at the US Open since 2022 and came after her return to major singles competition at Wimbledon, where she received a wild card.
Serena lost to Joint at Wimbledon in a Centre Court encounter that attracted widespread attention.
Joint said the atmosphere at Arthur Ashe Stadium was even more intense when she faced both sisters.
“The atmosphere was surreal,” Joint said. “Being able to play against such legends of the game is super special.”
The Williams sisters received a huge ovation when they walked onto the court, with spectators responding enthusiastically to their every shot.
Despite their defeat, their return generated a memorable night at the US Open and marked another significant chapter in the careers of two of tennis’s most accomplished sisters.
