Serena and Venus Williams Make Doubles Return, Lose in Cincinnati

Serena and Venus Williams competed in their first doubles match together since the 2022 US Open, facing Marta Kostyuk and Peyton Stearns at the Cincinnati Open on Monday night. The match ended with a score of 2-6, 6-1 (10-8) in favor of their opponents.

The Williams sisters struggled initially, falling behind 6-0 in the match tiebreaker. Despite a strong effort to recover, including a series of double-faults from Kostyuk that allowed them to narrow the gap, a double-fault by Venus ultimately concluded their match.

Serena, returning to the tour at age 44, expressed enjoyment in playing together again, while Venus noted the significance of their reunion on the court. Kostyuk and Stearns, both 24, were participating in their first tournament as a pair, with Stearns hailing from the local area.