Serena and Venus Williams beaten on doubles return at Cincinnati Open

FILE PHOTO - American tennis player Serena Williams reacts after losing against Australia's Maya Joint during their Women's Singles first-round tennis match on Day Two of the 2026 Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. (is associated with: «Serena and Venus Williams beaten on doubles return at Cincinnati Open») John Walton/PA Wire/dpa Serena and Venus Williams were beaten in their first doubles match together for four years at the Cincinnati Open, going down 2-6, 6-1, 10-8 against Marta Kostyuk and Peyton Stearns. It was the first time since the 2022 US Open that the sisters had competed together, with Serena opting to step away from tennis in the aftermath of that tournament. In June, she made a return to doubles before playing singles at Wimbledon as a wild card, though she sustained a knee injury in losing to Maya Joint in the first round and was unable to take part in the doubles alongside her sister as planned. "We've waited a long time to get back on the doubles court. Eventually, we find our way to each other," Venus said. "We give each other so much grace and encouragement. This is our first time playing together in forever, and I think we're really getting into our stride." The pair made a poor start against Kostyuk and Stearns but hit back to take the match to a tie-break. They went 6-0 down in 10-point decider but despite battling back, Kostyuk and Stearns secured victory on a double fault from Venus.