Williams sisters team up for first time in four years, lose in Cincinnati Open opening tennis match

Sisters Serena and Venus Williams reunited for their first doubles match in nearly four years at the Cincinnati Open on Monday, losing in the first round to Peyton Stearns and Marta Kostyuk with a score of 6-2, 1-6, 1-0 (8). The Williams sisters, who last played together in 2022, rallied in the decisive tiebreaker but ultimately fell short after Venus served a match-ending double fault. Serena commented, "I thought it was fun. I thought it was special." Venus added, "It's our first time playing together in forever. It was great for us to get out there and do it." This marked Serena's third doubles match and first singles match of the year, while Venus holds a 3-9 doubles record and 0-10 singles record in 2026.