Serena and Venus Williams were knocked out of the first round of the women's doubles at the US Open on Friday night, squandering a 5-0 lead in the deciding 10-point tiebreaker as they fell 3-6, 7-6(6), 6-7(7) to Maya Joint and Chan Hao-ching.
The Williams sisters had accepted a wildcard into the doubles draw in New York at the eleventh hour, having partnered up at the Cincinnati Open earlier this summer following Serena's return to competition.
Serena, a 23-time Grand Slam singles champion, had stepped back from competition four years ago, when she played what tennis fans believed at the time would be her last match on the US Open's Arthur Ashe show court.
Earlier this summer, Serena had accepted a singles wildcard to Wimbledon but was beaten in three competitive sets by Joint, her opponent again on Friday night. Two months on, she was unable to get her revenge on the Australian world No. 72, who now holds a 2-0 record against her.
The Williams sisters received a hero's welcome as they opened the night session, with the stadium, which holds more than 23,000 fans, filling quickly as spectators turned out to see the siblings back in action on Arthur Ashe for the first time since 2022.
Bomber jacket and a hushed crowd
Serena let her outfit do some of the talking, walking onto court in a bomber jacket listing the years she had won singles and doubles titles at the US Open.
After complaints all week about crowd noise during play, the stadium fell close to silent as Joint prepared to serve the opening point. Joint later admitted she had been "intimidated" by Serena because of the position the 44-year-old occupies within the sport, a lesson she said she had taken from their earlier meeting this year. Both Joint and her partner Chan looked composed under the lights.
An early break decides the first set
The Williams sisters had an explosive crowd on their side, roaring at the first real moment of Serena brilliance, a thunderous backhand that forced an error from their opponents. But Chan and Joint, a tested pairing who reached a final together in Memphis in July, looked sharp from the start and pinched the early break.
Watched by New York Knicks forward Karl-Anthony Towns and his new wife, Jordyn Woods, the Williams sisters fought back to level at 2-3 and fended off further break points before Chan and Joint served out the opening set 5-3.
Sisters force a decider
The second set proved thornier for Chan and Joint. Venus and Serena held their own serves to stay level all the way to 4-3, then edged 5-4 up thanks to a Serena backhand down the line.
Joint's serve continued to trouble the sisters, but a fine Serena return brought up deuce and then set point. The Williams sisters had two chances to close out the set, helped by a rare Joint double fault, but could not convert as their opponents clung on. Serena held for 6-5, Chan and Joint held in turn to force a tiebreak, and Venus and Serena edged in front as the pressure rose.
Serving for the set, Serena double-faulted on the first point, but Joint sprayed a shot wide into the stands moments later, handing the sisters the set and sending the match to a decider.
A collapse in the final tiebreaker
Sharp net play from Chan helped Joint and Chan snatch an early break in the third set, but the Williams sisters broke straight back to lead 4-3 and held with confidence, prompting a frustrated Chan to fling her racquet to the court.
Venus in particular produced vintage shot-making, looking far removed from the singles player who had lost her 15th match in a row at the start of the tournament.
The set went to another tiebreak, this time the deciding 10-point breaker. The sisters built a commanding 5-0 lead, only for Joint and Chan to mount an almighty comeback and take the match.
The match lasted just over three hours. Venus and Serena showed they can still compete against top doubles players on tour in 2026, but their wait for a win this year goes on.
