Serena and Venus Williams have joined forces once again for the upcoming U.S. Open tennis tournament. The Williams sisters secured a wild card entry on Wednesday to compete in the doubles event, a competition they have clinched twice in the past.
After a hiatus of four years, Serena Williams made her return to the tennis scene this summer. The duo was initially slated to compete at Wimbledon, but Serena had to pull out due to a knee injury sustained during a singles match. They also participated in the Cincinnati Open but were eliminated in the initial round.
Having previously claimed the U.S. Open doubles titles in 1999 and 2009, the Williams sisters boast a commendable record of 27 wins and 7 losses across nine appearances. Their most recent outing in the tournament was in 2022, where they exited in the first round, marking what was anticipated to be Serena’s final match at Flushing Meadows.
During the current U.S. Open, Serena, aged 44, partnered with Carlos Alcaraz in mixed doubles, securing a victory before bowing out in the quarterfinals. Meanwhile, Venus, aged 46, is competing in the women’s singles category.
The legendary duo of Serena and Venus Williams has a remarkable history in doubles, clinching 14 Grand Slam titles together and earning Olympic gold medals in 2000, 2008, and 2012. They also held the top spot in the women’s doubles rankings for a span of eight weeks.
Although Serena opted out of the singles competition at the U.S. Open, where she has triumphed in six Grand Slam singles events, she decided to participate in the doubles events through wild card entries, feeling fit and ready to compete alongside her sister.
Their first U.S. Open doubles victory coincided with Serena’s inaugural singles title win at the same tournament. Their dominance peaked about a decade later, highlighted by triumphs at the Australian Open and Wimbledon in 2009, followed by a successful defense of their U.S. Open title that year. In 2010, they secured another Australian Open victory and added the French Open title to their accolades, holding all four major titles simultaneously.
The women’s doubles tournament at the U.S. Open is scheduled to kick off on September 3.