A packed Arthur Ashe Stadium witnessed tennis royalty on Thursday night as Serena and Venus Williams made their Grand Slam doubles return after a four-year absence. The American icons, aged 44 and 46 respectively with a combined age of 90, narrowly lost 6-3 6-7 (6-8) 7-6 (10-7) to 14th seeds Chan Hao-ching and Maya Joint in a first-round match that captivated New York.
Rarely does a women’s doubles opener headline the US Open night session. But the Williams sisters aren’t just any pairing. Their star power remains undimmed, as evidenced by the rapturous reception they received stepping onto a court where they’ve won eight singles titles between them and two doubles crowns together.
The match showcased the indomitable spirit that defined their extraordinary careers. After dropping the first set and falling behind 4-1 in the decider, they rallied to force a first-to-10 match tie-break. They even surged to a 5-0 lead before Chan and Joint mounted their own comeback.
“It was unbelievable how competitive that was,” said former player Chanda Rubin, who lost to the sisters in the 1999 US Open doubles final. “After the first set you wondered if Serena and Venus would be able to find their mojo, but boy, they did.” The performance proved one thing: when together, the Williams sisters can still compete at the highest level.
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