Serena Williams and Venus Williams were beaten 2-6 6-1 10-8 by Marta Kostyuk and Peyton Stearns in a gripping first‑round doubles contest at the Cincinnati Open, marking their first match together since the 2022 US Open.
The sisters, competing as wild cards, returned to the doubles court after four years apart, having been forced to abandon a planned reunion at Wimbledon earlier this summer when Serena suffered a knee injury during her singles defeat. Their comeback in Cincinnati with Serena aged 44, Venus 46. Drew a packed crowd eager to witness one of tennis’ most decorated partnerships back in tandem.
Rusty start, sharp response
The opening set exposed early rust. Kostyuk, from Ukraine, and Stearns, a Cincinnati native, settled quickly, breaking serve with clean returns and sharp movement. The Williams sisters struggled for rhythm, particularly on first‑serve placement, and were out‑hit in baseline exchanges as Kostyuk and Stearns closed out the set 6-2.
The response was emphatic. Serena and Venus tightened their patterns, stepped inside the baseline, and began dictating with heavier ball-striking. Serena’s drive volleys and Venus’s cross‑court angles repeatedly opened the court, flipping momentum entirely. They surged through the second set 6-1, producing the cleanest stretch of tennis either had played all summer.
Dramatic match tie-break swings
The 10‑point match tie-break delivered the drama the crowd came for. Kostyuk and Stearns raced ahead 6-0, capitalising on two loose returns and a pair of mis‑timed approaches from the sisters. But the Williamses, long known for their ability to flip matches under pressure, mounted a trademark surge.
Back‑to‑back double faults from Kostyuk dragged the score to 8-7, and Serena hammered an overhead to close the gap further. At 9-8, the comeback looked possible until Venus, serving to stay in the match, double‑faulted. The contest ended on that anticlimactic note, sealing a narrow defeat after 90 minutes of fluctuating momentum.
A partnership with historic weight
The Williams sisters’ doubles résumé remains one of the most formidable in tennis history. 14 Grand Slam doubles titles together, plus three Olympic gold medals. Their last non‑Grand Slam doubles appearance before Cincinnati came at the Italian Open in 2016, underlining how rare these moments have become.
Serena has 23 singles Grand Slam titles; Venus has seven. Their doubles success has always been built on complementary strengths. Serena’s explosive finishing and Venus’s reach, anticipation, and net coverage. Even in defeat, those patterns resurfaced in Cincinnati, particularly during the second set surge.
The comeback
The Williams sisters’ fightback from 6-0 down in the tie-break was vintage. Serena’s overhead at 9-8 was the loudest moment of the night, drawing a roar from the crowd and a fist pump from Venus. But the final point was a Venus double fault. Underlined the fine margins of match tie-breaks. The reality is that a tiebreak is a lottery. You never know which way it’s going to go.
Serena’s return this summer has been cautious. She had been off the tour since 2022 before reappearing at Queen’s. The Cincinnati outing was part of a gradual rebuild, with no stated expectation of deep runs. Venus, meanwhile, has played sporadically across the season, including mixed doubles commitments. Their reunion was less about results and more about reconnecting on court.
Ahead of the US Open
The sisters had hoped to play doubles at Wimbledon but withdrew after Serena’s knee injury. Their Cincinnati appearance now serves as a tune‑up ahead of potential involvement at the US Open, though Serena has not yet confirmed her plans. Venus is scheduled to play mixed doubles in New York later this month.
Whether they reunite again at Flushing Meadows remains to be seen, but Cincinnati demonstrated that. Even after four years apart, their chemistry remains intact. The timing, movement, and instinctive patterns that defined their dominance resurfaced in flashes, particularly in the second set.
Measured, and still competitive
There was no over‑celebration, no dramatics, just two legends enjoying the chance to compete together again. The match offered a reminder of their enduring presence in the sport, even as their schedules become selective and their appearances rarer.
Their Cincinnati return may not have produced a win, but it delivered what mattered. A competitive, high‑quality contest, a glimpse of familiar brilliance, and confirmation that the partnership still has life.
Featured image via the Canary
By Faz Ali
From Canary via This RSS Feed.