Story perspectives

Williams Sisters Skip US Open Press Conference After Loss

9/8/2026

Summary

Story summary

Serena and Venus Williams left Arthur Ashe Stadium without attending the press conference after their first-round loss.
The sisters lost 6-3, 6-7(6), 7-6(10-7) to Hao-Ching Chan and Maya Joint on September 4, 2026.
The USTA announced the players would not be available for media and later said they would not be fined.
Ben Rothenberg noted the sisters have avoided press conferences 15-20 times, despite Venus’s $5,000 2016 Australian Open fine.

History

Historical Context

In 1973, Billie Jean King defeated Bobby Riggs in the ‘Battle of the Sexes’ at the Houston Astrodome, reshaping tennis media dynamics. The match attracted 30,000 spectators and a 50-million-viewer television audience, prompting the USTA to formalize press-conference policies. Similarly, in September 2026, Serena and Venus Williams left Arthur Ashe Stadium after a first-round loss, and the USTA again barred them from media duties. The recurrence underscores ongoing tensions between player autonomy and media expectations, suggesting the USTA may need stricter enforcement or revised communication protocols.

1 of 2

Story summary

Serena and Venus Williams left Arthur Ashe Stadium without attending the press conference after their first-round loss.
The sisters lost 6-3, 6-7(6), 7-6(10-7) to Hao-Ching Chan and Maya Joint on September 4, 2026.
The USTA announced the players would not be available for media and later said they would not be fined.
Ben Rothenberg noted the sisters have avoided press conferences 15-20 times, despite Venus’s $5,000 2016 Australian Open fine.

1 / 2