Williams sisters make doubles comeback but lose in Cincinnati

Serena and Venus Williams faced a tough match at the Cincinnati Open. This was their first doubles game together in four years. They lost 6-2 1-6 10-8 to Marta Kostyuk and Peyton Stearns in front of a cheering crowd.

The sisters last played together at the 2022 US Open. That tournament was Serena’s last before she “evolved away” from tennis. The 44-year-old made her return to doubles in June. She also played singles at Wimbledon as a wildcard.

Serena suffered a knee injury in her first-round match against Maya Joint at Wimbledon. This injury stopped her from playing doubles with Venus as planned.

“We’ve waited a long time to get back on the doubles court. Eventually, we find our way to each other,” Venus, 46, said. “We give each other so much grace and encouragement.”

Venus added, “This is our first time playing together in forever, and I think we’re really getting [into] our stride.”

Serena was returning to the court for the first time since Wimbledon. Meanwhile, Venus has been playing singles and doubles at three hard-court events lately.