The Williams sisters were eliminated from the US Open in the first round after Maya Joint and Chan Hao-ching prevailed 6-3, 6-7(6), 7-6(7), ending a high-profile return to New York.
Serena and Venus rallied repeatedly in a tense three-hour match before losing a final-set tie-break they once led 5-0. The pair fought back from a 1-4 deficit in the deciding set and produced several moments of brilliance, but could not close out the contest against the 14th-seeded combination.
Serena, 44, struggled with her serve for much of the match and increasingly relied on safer first serves and a more conservative approach as the encounter wore on. Venus, 46, was frequently the stronger of the two on court, yet missed key volleys that might have swung the result. Joint, a top-30 doubles specialist, and Chan, a former world No 5 and Wimbledon finalist, steadied their play in the decisive points, absorbing the Williams sisters’ attacks and finishing cleanly at the net.
The match revived a long shared history. Venus and Serena returned to the doubles courts together this summer after reuniting at Cincinnati, and the pairing at Flushing Meadows drew enormous attention. The stadium held about 23,000 spectators who followed every swing, amplifying the atmosphere as the Americans attempted to recapture earlier form.
Serena had already foregone a singles wildcard for this event after suffering a knee injury during her singles comeback at Wimbledon in July, when she faced Maya Joint. Venus exited the singles draw in the first round to Sofia Kenin, marking her 15th consecutive singles defeat. Serena has compiled a 1-4 record in singles and women’s doubles since returning to competition, and she has said this comeback is about enjoyment and sharing the sport with her daughters, Olympia and Adira. The source material also notes she does not intend to compete for long.
Neither sister gave any public signal that the match would mark the end of their careers. They left the court without a post-match press conference and offered no indication this would be a final appearance. For the packed crowd, the evening was a reminder of the Williamses’ sustained passion for tennis and the enduring draw they bring to the biggest stages.
