Serena and Venus Williams Return to US Open Doubles at Ages 44 and 46

Serena Williams and Venus Williams entered the first round of the 2026 U.S. Open women’s doubles, partnering with younger players for the first time since their opening-round loss in 2022. Their opponents were Australia’s Maya Joint and Taiwan’s Chan Hao-Ching. The sisters, who previously dominated the discipline, have not played together in a Grand Slam draw for more than a decade.

New York Times

During their partnership the Williams sisters amassed 14 Grand Slam doubles titles, three Olympic gold medals, and two U.S. Open doubles crowns (1999 and again ten years later). Their 2007 Wimbledon first-round loss to Great Britain’s Claire Curran and Anne Keothavong, a 6-1, 6-3 defeat, remains a reminder of the power imbalance they once imposed on opponents.

New York Times

Top singles stars now rarely commit to regular doubles schedules. Venus explained in a June news conference that the sisters played only a few tournaments a year, focusing on Grand Slam titles rather than weekly doubles practice. Contemporary examples include Aryna Sabalenka’s Australian Open (2019) and U.S. Open (2021) doubles victories, Coco Gauff’s 2024 French Open win with Katerina Siniaková, and the occasional pairing of Mirra Andreeva with Diana Shnaider. The last prominent all-top-player duo before the Williams sisters’ resurgence was Gauff and Jessica Pegula, who reunited briefly at the Berlin Tennis Open.

New York Times

Former doubles great Pam Shriver noted that the Williams sisters’ decision not to pursue a record-breaking total of 20 titles was a conscious choice rather than a shortfall. Current players such as Alexandra Eala, who has partnered with Venus, expressed enthusiasm for more doubles opportunities, suggesting that the format still offers creative development for singles specialists.

New York Times

• “I think it really helped my game,” — Jessica Pegula

New York Times

• “Having a chance to go home outweighs sticking around, playing singles and doubles, at least for me right now,” — Jessica Pegula

New York Times