Overview
- The 44‑year‑old Serena and 46‑year‑old Venus lost a three‑set first‑round doubles match to Chan Hao‑ching and Maya Joint on Friday in a 7‑point deciding tiebreak.
- Andy Roddick said Serena told ESPN’s Malika Andrews she wants to play singles at a major again and predicted she could use the US Open match as a fitness 'stress test' that points toward the Australian Open.
- Former player Greg Rusedski urged the sisters to move away from regular tour events and stage exhibitions instead, citing Serena’s limited wins since returning and Venus’s long singles losing run.
- Coverage noted Serena has won only once since returning from nearly four years away and that Venus has suffered many recent first‑round singles defeats, which has renewed debate over discretionary wildcards.
- The sisters received criticism for skipping the post‑match press conference, and the outcome raises near‑term questions for tournament organisers, wildcard policies and whether Serena will schedule more singles matches before Australia.