US Open 2026: Serena, Venus Williams go down fighting to Chan Hao-ching, Maya Joint on women's doubles return

The Williams sisters, Serena and Venus Williams, suffered a first round defeat on their return to women's doubles at the 2026 US Open at Flushing Meadows on Friday. The duo suffered a 6-3, 6-7(6), 7-6(7) loss to Chan Hao-ching and Maya Joint in a three-set thriller.

Venus, 46, and Serena, 44, had not teamed up in Grand Slam doubles since the 2022 US Open. Their most recent title together came at Roland Garros in 2018.

The sisters produced flashes of their trademark brilliance, with Serena particularly impressive when moving forward to the net, although she struggled to find consistency on her serve.

Having dropped the opening set, the Americans responded by raising their level in the second. They struck 20 winners while holding all of their service games and eventually forced the match into a deciding set when Joint sent an overhead shot long, prompting a huge roar from the crowd.

Chan and Joint responded well in the third set, breaking the Williams sisters to establish a 4-2 advantage. Venus and Serena fought their way back and then surged 5-0 ahead in the deciding tiebreak, but the Taiwanese-Australian combination held their nerve to mount a remarkable comeback and seal the win.

Serena makes Flushing Meadows return

For Serena, the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion widely regarded as one of the greatest women's players in tennis history, the match marked her first appearance at Flushing Meadows since 2022.

The 44-year-old had returned to Grand Slam singles action at Wimbledon as a wild card, four years after saying she had "evolved away" from the sport.

At the All England Club, Serena suffered defeat to Joint in a Centre Court encounter that attracted widespread attention from both devoted tennis fans and casual viewers.

Even that experience, however, had not prepared Joint for the atmosphere inside the cavernous Arthur Ashe Stadium.

The Williams sisters received a thunderous ovation as they walked onto the court, dressed in understated white outfits and focused on the match.

Every blistering volley and overhead smash from the Americans was met with rapturous cheers.

When the sisters raced into a 5-0 lead in the decisive 10-point tiebreaker, the noise inside Ashe Stadium became deafening.

"The atmosphere was surreal," Joint said after the match. “Being able to play against such legends of the game is super special,” she added.