Full Breakdown
Williams Sisters Return to US Open Doubles
8/27/2026, 10:54:06 AM
Core Event: Wild Card Entry for 2026 U.S. Open Women’s Doubles
On August 26, 2026, the United States Tennis Association announced that Serena Williams and Venus Williams have been granted a wild-card entry into the 2026 U.S. Open women’s doubles draw. The pairing marks their first Grand Slam appearance together since the 2022 U.S. Open, where they lost in the first round. The tournament’s women’s doubles first round is scheduled to begin on September 3, 2026, with the championship match set for September 11, 2026.
Background & Context
The Williams sisters have a storied partnership at Flushing Meadows. They captured the U.S. Open women’s doubles titles in 1999 and 2009, and have amassed 14 Grand Slam doubles titles overall, including three Olympic gold medals (2000, 2008, 2012). Their U.S. Open record stands at 27-7 across nine appearances, and they have never lost a major doubles final together.
Serena stepped away from professional competition after the 2022 U.S. Open, describing herself as “evolving away” from tennis. She returned to the tour in June 2026, first competing in doubles at the Queen’s Club Championships in London. A knee injury sustained in her first-round singles loss at Wimbledon forced her and Venus to withdraw from the scheduled Wimbledon doubles event. Nonetheless, Serena entered the U.S. Open mixed doubles with Carlos Alcaraz, winning one match before a quarter-final loss.
Timeline
- August 17, 2026 – The sisters reunited at the Cincinnati Open, losing in the first round to Marta Kostyuk (Czechia) and Peyton Stearns (USA).
- August 26, 2026 – USTA announces the women’s doubles wild-card for Serena and Venus.
- August 30, 2026 – Venus’s singles wild-card entry begins with the main draw.
- September 3, 2026 – Women’s doubles first round at the U.S. Open.
- September 11, 2026 – Scheduled date for the women’s doubles championship match.
Data & Statistics
- 14 Grand Slam women’s doubles titles (together).
- 27-7 win-loss record at the U.S. Open.
- 9 U.S. Open doubles appearances as a team.
- 3 Olympic gold medals in women’s doubles.
- Never lost a major doubles final as a pair.
- First Grand Slam partnership in four years; last joint Grand Slam match was the 2022 U.S. Open first round.
Official Statements & Responses
Venus, reflecting on her long-standing connection to Flushing Meadows, noted that competing in New York “never fades” for her.
Verbatim Quotes
- “It’s always such an amazing place to be here,” — Venus Williams
- “I’m incredibly excited to accept the wild card for the 2026 US Open and look forward to competing in front of the fans in New York once again,” — Stan Wawrinka, men’s singles champion
What’s Next
The women’s doubles draw opens on September 3, 2026, with the Williams sisters slated to play either Thursday or Friday. Their progress will be tracked through the scheduled September 11 final. Venus also competes in the singles main draw beginning August 30, 2026. Serena’s mixed-doubles run concluded in the quarter-finals, but she remains focused on the doubles partnership as a central element of her comeback.
