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yesterday

Williams Sisters Fall in Tiebreak on Doubles Return at Cincinnati Open

Played during Serena’s comeback from a Wimbledon knee injury, the narrow loss raises fresh questions about the sisters’ plans for the U.S. Open.

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Aug 17, 2026; Mason, OH, USA; Serena Williams and Venus Williams of the United States meet with Peyton Stearns of the United States and Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine, after their doubles match during the Cincinnati Open at Lindner Family Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images
Serena Williams and Venus Williams of the United States confer during their first-round doubles match against Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine and Peyton Stearns of the United States at the 2026 Cincinnati Open.
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Overview

  • The Williams sisters, who teamed up Monday night at the Cincinnati Open as a wild‑card pairing, lost 2-6, 6-1, 10-8 to Marta Kostyuk and Peyton Stearns after a match‑point double fault by Venus Williams.
  • Their Cincinnati appearance was their first doubles match together since the 2022 U.S. Open and their first non‑Grand Slam doubles event since the 2016 Italian Open.
  • The match featured a dramatic 10‑point deciding tiebreak in which Kostyuk and Stearns led 6-0 before the Williamses rallied to 9-8, with the final point decided on Venus’s double fault.
  • Serena, who described her Wimbledon knee injury as “a little traumatic,” used the event as part of a limited comeback but has not confirmed any U.S. Open entries; Venus has been reported to receive a U.S. Open singles wild card.
  • The night match drew a packed crowd at the Lindner Family Tennis Center and underscored both the promotional value of legacy stars for tournaments and the lingering wildcard speculation ahead of the U.S. Open.