Serena and Venus Williams were defeated in the first round of the US Open women's doubles on Friday night, marking their earliest exit at the tournament in nine appearances. The iconic sisters, playing together for the first time in four years, fell to Australia’s Maya Joint and Taiwan’s Chan Hao-ching in a three-set thriller: 3-6, 7-6(6), 6-7(7). The match concluded in a decisive 10-point tiebreaker after the Williams sisters squandered a 5-0 lead in the second set.
The Williams sisters entered the tournament as wildcard entries, following Serena’s return to competition after a four-year hiatus. Their first-round loss at Arthur Ashe Stadium drew a hero’s welcome from the crowd, with fans filling the stadium to capacity. The match was part of a night session that had drawn criticism earlier in the week for excessive noise levels.
Serena Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam singles champion, had previously lost to Joint in three sets at Wimbledon this summer, a match that also saw her injure her knee. She entered the US Open with a 2-0 career record against Joint, though the Australian secured her second victory in their head-to-head. Venus Williams, meanwhile, had bowed out of the singles draw earlier in the week, losing in straight sets to Sofia Kenin.
The Williams sisters last won the US Open women’s doubles title in 2009, and their combined doubles record at the tournament stands at 27-7 across nine appearances. Their most recent US Open doubles match together was in 2022, when they also lost in the first round. The defeat to Joint and Chan extends their winless streak in the tournament’s doubles draw.
Joint and Chan, the No. 14 seeds, advanced to the second round after overcoming the Williams sisters’ late surge. The match was marked by a high-energy atmosphere, with the crowd’s enthusiasm contrasting the sisters’ uncharacteristic errors in critical moments. Despite the loss, Serena Williams wore a bomber jacket onto the court listing the years she won US Open singles and doubles titles, a nod to her storied history at the event.
Venus Williams, 44, has not confirmed whether this will be her final Grand Slam appearance, stating only that she was not ready to discuss her future. Her singles exit earlier in the week marked her 15th consecutive defeat in tour-level matches, dating back to July 2025. The Williams sisters’ partnership at the US Open had been one of the most anticipated returns in tennis, drawing global attention to their first joint appearance in a major since 2022.