Williams Sisters Lose in US Open Doubles Debut After Emotional Return

Rarely has a women's doubles first-round match headlined the US Open night session - but the Williams sisters are like no other pairing.

Serena and Venus Williams might have a combined age of 90, but their star remains undimmed. Neither does their ability to compete at the highest level when they are in tandem.

Even though the superstar siblings - aged 44 and 46 - lost on their highly-anticipated Grand Slam return, their performance in a narrow defeat by 14th seeds Chan Hao-Ching and Maya Joint led to an entertaining night in New York.

A packed Arthur Ashe Stadium roared on the American icons as they looked on course for a memorable win - but ultimately fell short in a 6-3 6-7 (6-8) 7-6 (10-7) loss.

"It was unbelievable how competitive that was," said former American player-turned-commentator Chanda Rubin, who lost to the Williams 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."

Four years after they last appeared on Ashe, the Williams sisters were given a rapturous reception as they strode onto a court where they have won eight singles titles between them and two doubles titles together.

The decibel levels were rarely matched in an underwhelming first set for the home favourites, but the noise quickly returned when they rallied in the second set.

The atmosphere became muted as the decider seemed to run away from them at 4-1 down, before they showed indomitable spirit - a hallmark of their extraordinary careers - to take their opponents into a first-to-10 match tie-break.

Racing into a 5-0 lead put the Williams sisters firmly on course to reach the second round, only for Chan and Joint to fight back - with the help of a double fault from each opponent.

Despite the initial despondency of the home fans, the volume was turned back up when the American pair were given a fond farewell - with everyone left wondering what the future holds for them both.

Serena hinted she wanted to play singles again in an interview with Good Morning America, external earlier this week, while Venus said after her singles exit on Monday that she should not "have to" think about her future beyond the doubles.

The questions about what happens next were not addressed by the pair following Friday's match. The sisters decided they were "not available" to speak to the media, US Open organisers said.

For once, the 20,000-odd fans on a packed Arthur Ashe Stadium sat quietly engrossed during points.

The sight of the Williams sisters back on court together at the US Open - possibly for the final time - commanded ultimate respect from a chatty crowd known to let their attention wander.

The siblings changed the face of the sport when they emerged as precocious teenagers in the 1990s, going on to dominate the sport with a combined 30 Grand Slam singles titles and 14 doubles victories as a pair.

Three decades later, the sport remains captivated by them.

Serena, a 23-time Grand Slam women's singles champion, coming out of retirement this summer sparked excitement among those who saw her in their prime and those too young to have witnessed it.

Seven-time major winner Venus has never "evolved away" from the sport - the words chosen by her younger sister when she last played in 2022 - but instead continued her career with the help of sporadic wildcards.

While that has proved controversial in some quarters, there were few objections about the sisters being invited to play once again at Flushing Meadows.

Their planned return at Wimbledon was scuppered by the knee injury which Serena suffered in her singles match there - ironically a defeat by 20-year-old Joint - before they finally reunited at the WTA event in Cincinnati.

The comeback ended in a match tie-break defeat by Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk and her American partner Peyton Stearns, with the same fate befalling them in New York.

When the Williams sisters last played on Ashe four years ago, they suffered a straight-set defeat by Czech pair Lucie Hradecka and Linda Noskova in the first round.

It looked like being a similar outcome as they meekly surrendered the first set against Chan and Joint, then batted off four break points in the fifth and seventh games of the second set.

But once Serena upped her level to match her impressive sister, they managed to switch the momentum back in their favour and level the match.

An absorbing contest featuring some sensational points saw the Americans fight back again in the decider, only to falter from a commanding lead in the tie-break.

Overall it was a more than credible performance from the veteran pair. Their solid groundstrokes, sharp movement and never-say-die attitude caused problems for their opponents, who deserve huge credit for staying focused in a partisan environment.

"The atmosphere was surreal," said Joint.

"It was something we've never experienced before, and to play against such legends of the game was super special."