Williams Sisters’ First Doubles Reunion in Four Years Ends in Cincinnati Upset

On August 17, 2026, Serena Williams and Venus Williams teamed up for the first women's doubles match since the 2022 U.S. Open. Entering the tournament as wild-cards, the sisters faced Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk and American Peyton Stearns in the opening round of the Cincinnati Open in Mason, Ohio. After dropping the first set, the Williams pair rallied to take the second 6-1, forcing a 10-point match tiebreak. Kostyuk and Stearns surged ahead 6-0, but the sisters narrowed the gap to 8-7 before a Venus double-fault on match point gave the newcomers a 10-8 victory.

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Serena and Venus have won 14 Grand Slam women’s doubles titles, three Olympic gold medals, and 22 total tour-level doubles titles together. Their last joint appearance in a major was the 2022 U.S. Open, and their most recent non-Grand Slam partnership occurred at the Italian Open in 2016. Serena announced a comeback in June 2026, playing a doubles match at the Queen’s Club in London on June 9, 2026. Both sisters had planned to reunite at Wimbledon, but Serena withdrew after a knee injury sustained in her singles return.

Town & Country MagazineSerena and Venus Williams Fall Just Short in Doubles Return at Cincinnati Open People MagazineUSA TodaySerena & Venus Williams Fall in 3-Set Cincinnati Open Doubles Return

• Match score: 2-6, 6-1, 10-8 (some outlets reported the first two sets in reverse order).

Venus, Serena Williams Lose First Round Of Cincinnati Open Doubles

• Wild-card entry for both players.

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• Career doubles record together: 14 Grand Slam titles, 3 Olympic gold medals, 22 tour-level titles.

Serena and Venus Williams Fall Just Short in Doubles Return at Cincinnati Open

• Serena’s career singles tally: 23 Grand Slam titles; Venus’s singles tally: 7 Grand Slam titles.

Serena and Venus Williams Fall Just Short in Doubles Return at Cincinnati Open

• Rennae Stubbs, Serena’s coach, indicated that the former champion intends to compete at the U.S. Open, which is scheduled to begin August 30, 2026.

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• “It was fun and special. We kicked off a little rust,” — Serena Williams — Serena Williams

Al Jazeera (website)

• “We waited a long time to get back on the doubles court, even this year,” — Getty Images Venus, 46, told reporters — Venus Williams

People Magazine

• “I didn’t come out here to win this tournament,” — Cincinnati Open Serena, dietz digital editor — Serena Williams

Serena and Venus Williams Fall Just Short in Doubles Return at Cincinnati Open

• “We kicked off a little rust in the middle of the match and just, you know [were] starting to feel it,” — Venus Williams — Venus Williams

Serena & Venus Williams Fall in 3-Set Cincinnati Open Doubles Return

Sources differ on the ordering of the first two sets. The Guardian, ABC News, and several U.S. outlets list the opening set as a 2-6 loss for the Williams sisters, while People, Town and Country, and other reports record it as a 6-2 win. All agree on the second-set score (6-1 to the sisters) and the 10-8 tiebreak result. No source provides a definitive explanation for the discrepancy.

Serena & Venus Williams Fall in 3-Set Cincinnati Open Doubles Return

The Williams sisters have not confirmed participation in the upcoming U.S. Open, but the tournament’s wild-card policy for mixed doubles remains open. Coach Rennae Stubbs’ comment on July 7, 2026 suggests Serena intends to play at the U.S. Open, which starts August 30, 2026. Their performance in Cincinnati will likely serve as a final tune-up before that event.

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