Serena & Venus Williams Top Stats, Highlights from Loss vs. Maya Joint, Hao-Ching Chan at US Open

Serena and Venus Williams reunited their iconic doubles partnership for the first round of the 2026 US Open women’s doubles tournament. The sisters, aged 44 and 46, faced the pairing of Maya Joint and Hao-Ching Chan. According to reports from CNN, NBC News, and ESPN, the match was a closely contested affair that ultimately ended in a loss for the Williams sisters. The defeat occurred during a third-set match tiebreaker, marking a narrow exit for the pair in their competitive return to the event. Coverage from Sky Sports and The New York Times describes the match as a thrilling first-round epic and an agonizing defeat for the sisters.

Additional visual coverage provided by WRAL highlighted the spectacle of their return, while Yahoo Sports noted the appearance of their iconic pink bags during the tournament. Beyond the on-court action, Yahoo Sports reported a growing tension between the athletes and the media. The sisters reportedly skipped the post-match press conference, leading to frustration among tennis journalists and subsequent discussions regarding potential fines. This return is significant as The New York Times notes the sisters have been away from this competition for four years. The reunion of the team, as emphasized by ABC News, brought a storied partnership back to one of the sport's biggest stages.

The stakes were high for the return, with US Open Tennis reporting on Maya Joint's preparation to face the challenge posed by the Williams duo. This context underscores the high expectations surrounding their comeback regardless of the final match score. Future attention will likely focus on the fallout from the sisters' decision to avoid the media. Yahoo Sports reports that they reportedly escaped a hefty fine following the missed press conference, though frustration among the tennis media continues to linger. While their tournament run has ended with the loss to Joint and Chan, the discourse remains centered on their professional conduct and their physical performance during this high-profile return to professional doubles play.