Williams sisters crash out of US Open in first round after tiebreak collapse

The Williams sisters battled hard for over three hours to clinch a victory after making a return nearly a quarter century later.

Serena and Venus Williams appeared on the court at the Arthur Ashe Stadium on Friday night for their doubles match, after their iconic showdown in the 2001 US Open final.

Fans were all cheering for the Williams sisters, with placards that read, “Welcome to the Williams Show.”

But the night didn’t go as planned for the Williams sisters, who lost their first-round match after a tie-break collapse.

The Williams sisters, now ages 46 and 44, did put up a strong show against a top team nearly half their age combined on Friday, September 4, 2026.

In a three-set match, the sisters fell short at the end, crumbling after leading 5-0 in the final 10-point tiebreak that decided the fate of the Williams sisters in the US Open.

Serena and Venus Williams lose to Hao-Ching Chan of Taiwan and Maya Joint of Australia, 6-3, 6-7 (6), 7-4 (10-7), crashing out in the U.S. Open first round.

The Williams sisters didn't speak to the media post defeat and instead walked off the court with smiles on their faces.

Maya Joint did give credit to the greatest duo of tennis in a postgame on-court interview, saying, “It was an amazing match. They played really well. And I think just the atmosphere on the court…

“I don’t think either of us has experienced quite like that before. And playing two legends of the game is just a super special moment that we might not get again.”

The buzzworthy evening came four years after the sisters last appeared in doubles together at Flushing Meadows in 2022, also knocked out in the first round.

The same year, Serena stepped away from tennis after claiming 23 Grand Slam singles titles.