Almost like old times: The Williams sisters returned - and lost in a cruel way
Serena and Venus teamed up for the first time since the 2022 US Open, recovered from a weak start and forced a decisive tie-break, but succumbed due to a double fault.
Almost four years have passed since the last time Serena and Venus Williams played together, and tonight the two sisters shared the same side of the court again. The joint comeback at the Cincinnati tournament did not end in a victory, but it certainly provided drama: the two succumbed to Marta Kostyuk and Peyton Stearns 6:2, 1:6, 10:8 in the first round.
This was the first doubles match for the Williams sisters together since the 2022 US Open. The two, who won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles and three Olympic gold medals together during their careers, were welcomed by a large crowd in Cincinnati, but the start of the match illustrated the rust.
Kostyuk and Stearns achieved an early break on the way to 1:2, as Serena and Venus struggled initially to find the rhythm and timing that characterized them at their peak. Despite this, the familiar power was still visible at times, and in the second set the picture had already changed completely.
The Williams sisters started the second set with three consecutive games, improved their serves and returns, and took advantage of a decline in their opponents' performance. The result was a one-sided 6:1, which sent the match to a ten-point tie-break instead of a third set.
There, Serena and Venus were forced to chase again. Kostyuk and Stearns ran away to 0:6 and seemed on their way to an easy victory, but the sisters refused to give up. They narrowed the gap to 8:5, before Serena provided two unreturnable serves and reduced it to 8:7. Later, she kept the two alive with a tremendous shot on the way to 9:8, but it was precisely then that a disappointing finish arrived: a double fault by Venus gave the opponents the last point and the victory.
"It was fun and special. We shook off some rust," summarized Serena. "I didn't come here to win the tournament. The goal is to have fun, and yes, I wanted to do the best I can."
For 44-year-old Serena, this was another step in her comeback. After announcing in 2022 that she was stepping away from tennis, she returned to the courts this summer and played for the first time on grass. In Cincinnati, she appeared for the first time on US soil in almost four years and also for the first time on a hard surface since her return.
46-year-old Venus has already managed to play this season in tournaments in Washington, Toronto, and Cincinnati. The two were supposed to team up at Wimbledon as well, but were forced to withdraw before their first match following a knee injury to Serena.
Now the question remains whether the reunion in Cincinnati was a one-time event or preparation for a much bigger stage. Serena has not yet announced if she will play in singles or doubles at the US Open, which will open at the end of the month. After her first match alongside Venus since 2022, the possibility of seeing the two together again in New York certainly remains open.
