NEW YORK, UNITED STATES — Serena and Venus Williams made an emotional return to Grand Slam doubles at the 2026 U.S. Open on Friday night, thrilling a packed Arthur Ashe Stadium before narrowly falling to No. 14 seeds Hao-Ching Chan and Maya Joint in a dramatic three-set battle.
The Williams sisters, competing together at the U.S. Open for the first time since 2022, pushed their opponents to the limit before losing 6-3, 6-7(6), 7-6(10-7) in a match that lasted more than three hours.
The result ended their first-round campaign, but the night was widely defined by the significance of their return. Serena and Venus entered Arthur Ashe Stadium as two of the most accomplished doubles partners in tennis history, having won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles together, including U.S. Open championships in 1999 and 2009.
The sisters showed their trademark determination after losing the opening set 6-3. They recovered strongly in the second, taking it in a tiebreaker 8-6 to force a deciding match tiebreak.
The final stage produced the most dramatic moment of the contest. Serena and Venus established a 5-0 advantage in the deciding tiebreak, putting themselves within touching distance of victory. Chan and Joint, however, responded with a determined run, eventually turning the contest around and securing the match 10-7.
For the Williams sisters, the appearance represented another chapter in their remarkable return to competitive tennis. Serena, 44, returned to competition earlier this year after a lengthy absence, while Venus, 46, has continued competing on the professional circuit.
The sisters had already reunited on court at the Cincinnati Open in August, where they also played a closely contested match tiebreak before losing to Marta Kostyuk and Peyton Stearns. Serena described that reunion as special and emphasized the enjoyment of being back on court alongside her sister.
Their U.S. Open return had originally been expected to come earlier at Wimbledon, but the sisters were forced to withdraw from doubles after Serena suffered a knee injury during her singles comeback. Their appearance in New York therefore became their first Grand Slam doubles match together since their 2022 U.S. Open campaign.
The atmosphere inside Arthur Ashe Stadium reflected the extraordinary place the Williams sisters occupy in tennis history. Fans packed the venue to watch the American legends reunite, with the occasion carrying the feel of a celebration as much as a competitive sporting event. Reuters reported that approximately 23,000 fans were in attendance for the match.
Their opponents, Joint and Chan, produced the tennis required to withstand the enormous occasion. Joint, an Australian player who had already defeated Serena in singles at Wimbledon earlier in the summer, combined with the experienced Chan to recover from the early deficit in the deciding tiebreak and complete one of the biggest wins of their tournament.
Despite the defeat, Serena and Venus once again demonstrated the competitiveness and connection that have defined their doubles partnership for decades. Their 14 Grand Slam doubles championships remain one of the most impressive achievements in women’s tennis, while their combined singles careers include 30 Grand Slam titles.
The match also marked another memorable appearance for Serena at the U.S. Open during her 2026 comeback. She had previously competed in the tournament’s mixed doubles event alongside Carlos Alcaraz, reaching the second round, while Venus also participated in the women’s singles competition.
ANALYSIS
The Williams sisters’ U.S. Open exit is best viewed in the context of what the match represented rather than simply the final score. After several years away from Grand Slam doubles together, Serena and Venus returned to one of the biggest stages in tennis and immediately produced a contest that went down to the final points.
Their ability to recover from losing the opening set and then establish a 5-0 lead in the deciding tiebreak showed that their competitive instincts remain strong. The eventual defeat came by the narrowest of margins, with Chan and Joint winning seven of the next 10 points to close out the match.
The bigger story is the reunion itself. The sisters have spent decades building one of the greatest doubles partnerships in tennis history, and their return gave fans another opportunity to see them compete together on the court where they have created some of their most memorable U.S. Open moments.
WHAT IT MEANS
For Serena and Venus, the result closes their 2026 U.S. Open doubles campaign, but it does not diminish the significance of their return. They have once again shown that their partnership can still produce high-level, competitive tennis against established opposition.
Whether this was the final Grand Slam doubles appearance for the sisters remains uncertain. What is certain is that their return created another memorable chapter in one of tennis’ most celebrated sibling partnerships.
For the fans inside Arthur Ashe Stadium, the scoreline ultimately mattered less than the opportunity to watch Serena and Venus Williams share a Grand Slam court again. Their return was brief, competitive and emotional — and once again reminded the tennis world of the extraordinary legacy they built together.