# Serena Williams says what she really thinks about Marta Kostyuk after losing to her in Cincinnati Open doubles

> **Open Intelligence Dossier** · First detected: 2026-08-18 15:07 UTC · Category: Sports

## Executive Summary
Serena and Venus Williams made their first doubles appearance together since 2022 at the Cincinnati Open, resulting in a loss to Marta Kostyuk.

## Intelligence Brief
This match marked the first time the sisters played doubles as a team since the 2022 U.S. Despite the high profile of their pairing, the Williams sisters were unsuccessful in their outing and suffered a loss. The coverage specifies that their opponents included Marta Kostyuk, who secured a victory over the legendary duo in the tournament. Multiple major media outlets have tracked the development of this event. The New York Times and The Guardian both emphasize that this was the sisters' first doubles match since 2022.


Town & Country Magazine highlighted the rarity of the event, noting that the pair had not played doubles together in four years. Meanwhile, ESPN reported on the nature of the comeback, stating that Serena and Venus teamed up for a return to the doubles court specifically for the sake of fun, despite the eventual loss on the court. Contextually, this event is significant because it reunited one of the most successful partnerships in tennis history after a multi-year hiatus from the doubles circuit. The timeline provided by the outlets establishes a gap in their joint competitive history stretching back to the 2022 U.S. The return to the court in Cincinnati served as a high-visibility moment for the sport, though it ended in a defeat against Kostyuk.


The contrast between the professional stakes of the Open and the stated motivation of 'fun' provides a specific narrative for the return. Moving forward, attention is focused on the aftermath of the match and the interactions between the players. Tennishead reports that Serena Williams has shared her genuine thoughts regarding Marta Kostyuk following the loss. While the specific nature of those comments is not detailed in the headlines, the focus remains on the relationship between the veteran Williams and the winning player. Observers will be monitoring whether the sisters intend to continue playing doubles together following this specific outing in Cincinnati.

## Multi-Source Evidence Table
| Source Outlet | Headline | Verification URL |
|---|---|---|
| WLWT | 'It was really cool to be able to do this again': Williams sisters speak on long-anticipated Cincinnati Open reunion | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMipwFBVV95cUxNb05kdUpOOVhmakR5MS1UVnFxalJIckN0OG1QbDJqRm1mdGstUG5INmxPbDJ6ZkF4cFhjVmgyMTJWRlV0ZkVQbjBicDlHYTV3R2NtN2VPY1R3QUlmQl9EazdVdW5uOWt4WVM3azZBemdqcTJ6UzBUVGVzR1RLbG1YMGYzZTRfcDFKZ2RVTlVvNTBhTktrVWNYQ1FlN0FUOGZadWg1YlI1dw?oc=5) |
| WTA Tennis | Serena, Venus Williams find their way back 'to each other' in Cincinnati reunion | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiwwFBVV95cUxNenNwYXV0WGVyaHprdE5IZ0J4bVJ0Wm1DVm9KNkZ2TUJOcEhqUG5kVXpRdWszVFZGaktfcjJPNzhRXzZNei1jeEVIUEQzQWxoVVZ2MkNOclZGOVh4T05udzQxS0RmOU0xM0d1SDFTV09RSk9RSEotd3kwV1Bxd0R1djBCdTVZWkNSdm0yTF9oOWVWNW13N29SMURKOXMyRkpTWFYzbXlwVHhSM1hLaXZDN01OeWJUOWlJbkhkUVVIYVlRT2c?oc=5) |
| Yahoo Sports | Serena and Venus Williams Lose Cincinnati Open Match in Doubles Return | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMijwFBVV95cUxON2Y3Tm5jNF9pRndXUjhXdEJZbUp6RjMydk5nLTRpWmxYTjg4aEtsXy16NFVRZGRjamc4b2Fub2J5U08xOUpPUkx5cWo0bXh2eUkxSVY3QWFENWlRSmx6MHBiUlhwaVotcnRGOUZySHFHdk1hZWdZaXVvbGVrelpjWFdqQ0RIUkpPRXh5M3lpcw?oc=5) |
| Cincinnati Enquirer | Peyton Stearns says lack of crowd support vs Williams sisters 'stung' | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiyAFBVV95cUxPbmItbkdxUWVFNk0ydlY1NUlIRGlONnI5RkJXSWZqTjJqV0F2NGNFNDhlVGRnMERDeTg3UDV4MHkyblpKRTdvWkpwbnFHZUdzLURRMGY0U2U1OWFRUFA2VXpwS0R1YnBCZktOUmJxZURBTHRaTGtEZ1NSanItbnItOU40QnIwck5zRUhvVFpkT2NqUlNKTXFxYkotdHl3X3hJNW5BTWRib3AxTDVGTXlCdlIwZ1dlT1B4STB6QXNaQXRQUFRoSE1lTg?oc=5) |
| The New York Times | Serena and Venus Williams lose first doubles match since 2022 U.S. Open | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqwFBVV95cUxNWC1DWm5MMnVEcHRjTkV5T2F2d0tkYmNqMXhDZzRMcWtuVXU2bHgxOVRNdWdTTHVNSUN4c0FfZjZRN3Y4eGFLV3ppOE9rUlI2bU5BQUVrZEg1bmZCMUtJbUkyV3FIMXV4REJPdkF5ZWhOSEt0UnlESWVrb3l1UUs3MlJyLXUtZFNnRVRQd21vMGZMRVFva0poYUhZTVB5X2lQSUdEeEdqQjMtMVE?oc=5) |
| The Guardian | Williams sisters come unstuck in Cincinnati in first doubles outing together since 2022 | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiowFBVV95cUxNaGh3aUdXbUhkTF8xX2VnVDhNR0RDUHhoWWpfM214UzNhRkluWVF5Q2h3enlXUXAtaS0zZW9qd2I2QkRCeXF1TzZ3TXhDamRWUTNXT21MMm9sYWVUcDNSU2NyVTQwaGg4RDhrMWppVnlaYnE5MElYMVdEazRGMnJ4OGFHc2lmNGFpU1plbjNKOTZGTFc0TXY0cVdxTmhhemRuRnVj?oc=5) |
| Town & Country Magazine | Serena and Venus Williams Just Played Doubles Together for the First Time in Four Years | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMivAFBVV95cUxNcW1kdVRyczFMWWt3UE1nV1JNWlNjN0FySWM3QmRKX01Zc1VFSGlkSDFJaHUtZHY2TG91Tl90bHpSRXpNclRyNlZ5QnpxVWxfR3AzUGM4WFh1QmpFTW1Ra3BxZDZBUnppcDJnSURsUFdfYnhFYVhaSm16MVdFc2hIRFFONXhaQVR5cnVjMW1HanJWWXlaOGFFNEVaV2NkemJTS0VyTnUwYThKS0lSWDdfdGEyalBnQlJGRTltZg?oc=5) |
| ESPN | Serena, Venus team for 'fun' return to doubles despite loss | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiogFBVV95cUxPdmZNZHRObG42cWt1bXZ0T2w2RUVPdnB0Z1NiSVVyY1pvTnJIOVBhcVhkUlFMVW1femFScFM4QlN0UHNJeFlqMklDQWtDdDc5RHVQbE9DQ3VnajlXQUNlY1hJZUg3WXFhY081S0pHUVExLTFNX0JKZHhiS0MwY0FuUHBxT19WR1VmRHZsQzVVM2pDWnJ6UVZndnRHZ3RFa29MaGc?oc=5) |
| Tennishead | Serena Williams says what she really thinks about Marta Kostyuk after losing to her in Cincinnati Open doubles | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMizwFBVV95cUxPTUlnVThTVXJ1dlhaMlp1ODRYSjlXMmNWTWFDelZyd2djRWZPMkxISWVGWE5oc3BTVldTajIwb0pQTkhCUVRGT3FrM3dGdkZ5Q2FLRE5ON3lBdmd6N3JKNnJVQ0M5M1JSUGJDdUZiUzVtcl93TklBa0toOVhaZTJibnRFbnhVUnJhd0N4N2w1VkhidG5lUHg4S0tTaVh2TmNCTmxFbVZkWmxpVU9BWEFxUWhPZ3ZjWDVLcGdsY3dlZmptYWxKWm1rZmd2c28zNWs?oc=5) |

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*Canonical Source: https://pulse.byoviral.com/trend/2026-08-18/serena-williams-says-what-she-really-thinks-about-marta-kostyuk-after-losing-to*