Serena and Venus Williams have reunited for the upcoming U.S. Open tennis tournament. The renowned sisters, who have claimed victory at the event twice before, secured a wildcard entry on Wednesday to compete in the doubles category.
Serena Williams marked her return to the sport this summer following a prolonged four-year hiatus. Initially slated to participate in Wimbledon alongside her sister, Serena had to withdraw due to a knee injury sustained during a singles match. Their recent outing at the Cincinnati Open saw them exiting in the opening round.
The Williams sisters have a storied history at the U.S. Open doubles, clinching titles in 1999 and 2009, boasting an impressive 27-7 record across their nine appearances. Their most recent appearance in 2022 ended in a first-round defeat, which was anticipated to be Serena’s final match at Flushing Meadows.
During the current U.S. Open, Serena, aged 44, partnered with Carlos Alcaraz for mixed doubles, securing a victory before being eliminated in the quarterfinals. Meanwhile, Venus, aged 46, is competing in the women’s singles event.
The duo has previously triumphed in 14 Grand Slam doubles championships and secured Olympic gold medals in 2000, 2008, and 2012. They also held the top spot in the women’s doubles rankings for eight weeks.
Despite opting out of the singles competition at the U.S. Open, Serena, a six-time Grand Slam singles titleholder at the tournament, decided to participate in both doubles events via wildcard entries.
Their first U.S. Open doubles win coincided with Serena’s inaugural singles triumph at the same event. The peak of their doubles success arrived roughly a decade later, highlighted by victories at the Australian Open and Wimbledon in 2009, followed by another win at Flushing Meadows that summer. Subsequent victories in Australia in 2010, coupled with a French Open title, solidified their status as holders of all four major doubles trophies at the time.
The commencement of the women’s doubles tournament at the U.S. Open is scheduled for September 3rd.