Harrison Zaye | The Ohio Athletic
MASON, Ohio — Serena and Venus Williams reunited on the doubles court for the first time since the 2022 U.S. Open, delivering a dramatic performance at the Cincinnati Open before falling to Marta Kostyuk and Peyton Stearns in a match tiebreak, 2-6, 6-1, 10-8, on Monday night.
The highly anticipated reunion brought the legendary sisters back together in a non-Grand Slam doubles event for the first time since the 2016 Italian Open. Although they came up short, their comeback attempt provided an electric finish in front of a crowd eager to see two of tennis’ most accomplished champions play together again.
After losing the opening set, Serena and Venus found their rhythm in the second, cruising to a 6-1 victory to force a deciding match tiebreak. The sisters then faced a daunting 6-0 deficit, but rallied to pull within a point of taking the lead at 8-7. Consecutive double faults from Kostyuk helped fuel the comeback, and Serena delivered a powerful overhead winner to bring the score to 9-8. However, a double fault from Venus on the next point ended the match, giving Kostyuk and Stearns the victory.
Despite the loss, Serena emphasized that the experience itself made the reunion worthwhile. “I thought it was fun,” Serena said. “I thought it was special. We kicked off a little rust in the middle of the match and just, you know, (were) starting to feel it.” She added that winning was not her primary motivation for returning to the doubles court with her sister. “I didn’t come out here to win this tournament. Winning is obviously great. But in this position just, you know, having fun. It was really cool to be able to do this again.”
Serena, 44, returned to competition this summer after stepping away from the tour following the 2022 season. The sisters had planned to reunite at Wimbledon but were forced to withdraw after Serena sustained a knee injury during her singles match. They ultimately received a wild-card entry into Cincinnati. For Venus, 46, the opportunity to share the court with her younger sister again was a long-awaited moment. “Eventually we would find our way to each other,” Venus said of their return to doubles. “It’s our first time playing together in forever. It was great for us to get out there and do it.”
Standing across the net were Kostyuk and Stearns, both 24, who were competing together for the first time. The matchup carried additional significance for Stearns, who grew up in Mason, the Cincinnati suburb that hosts the tournament each year. Despite the hometown connection, much of the crowd rallied behind the Williams sisters. “I kind of expected it but it stung a little bit that this is my hometown,” Stearns said. “I won’t hold it against anyone. The crowd was going for them but we used it to our advantage and flipped the script.” Kostyuk, who represents Ukraine, acknowledged the atmosphere and the entertainment the match provided. “The crowd got the show,” she said. “They probably couldn’t ask for anything better. At the end a tiebreak is a lottery. You never know which way it’s going to go.”
The match added another chapter to the Williams sisters’ extraordinary doubles legacy. Together, Serena and Venus have captured 14 Grand Slam doubles championships and three Olympic gold medals. They have won 22 doubles titles as a team, including a Grand Slam victory at the 2002 French Open. Their accomplishments in singles are equally remarkable. Serena won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, while Venus claimed seven, establishing both sisters among the most successful players in tennis history.
Monday’s result did not add another victory to their shared record, but the reunion offered something beyond the scoreboard: a reminder of the chemistry, competitive spirit and connection that made the Williams sisters one of the sport’s defining duos. For Cincinnati fans, the opportunity to witness that partnership again made the night memorable, even as Kostyuk and Stearns emerged victorious.