The United States Tennis Association has awarded Serena and Venus Williams a wildcard into the US Open women's doubles draw, securing the American pair a return to Flushing Meadows. The decision gives the sisters their first Grand Slam doubles start together in four years, reuniting two players who have been among the sport's most successful partnerships.
The siblings have won 14 major doubles titles and three Olympic gold medals as a team. They are two-time champions in New York, lifting the US Open doubles trophy in 1999 and again in 2009, and their most recent major doubles success came at Wimbledon in 2016. Across their careers they have never been beaten in a major doubles final, and their appearances at Grand Slams together have been rare since that Wimbledon victory, limited to the French Open in 2018 and the US Open four years ago.
Serena, 44, returned to doubles competition at Queen's in June and was later awarded the final Wimbledon women's singles wildcard. At Wimbledon she lost 6-3 6-7 (6-8) 6-3 to Australia's Maya Joint and suffered a knee injury that ruled her out of the women's doubles event she had planned to play alongside Venus. The sisters reunited at the Cincinnati Open in August, where they were beaten in three sets by Marta Kostyuk and Peyton Stearns.
Serena has also contested the US Open mixed doubles with Carlos Alcaraz, winning their opening match before losing in the quarter-finals. Venus, 46, who has competed intermittently on the WTA Tour, has been granted a singles wildcard and is due to begin that event on Sunday, 30 August. Their doubles campaign will start on either Thursday, 3 September or Friday, 4 September, fixing when their fitness and form will be assessed at this year’s tournament.
