Serena and Venus Williams lose epic US Open doubles match and face huge fines for post-game antics

IT WAS Primetime in New York and Serena and Venus Williams lived up to their heavyweight billing. A three-hour high-octane, drama-filled first-round doubles match took centre stage on the Arthur Ashe Stadium on Friday evening and the New Yorkers loved it. Venus and Serena Williams suffered a loss in their return to the court together Credit: Splash The duo lost to Maya Joint and Chan Hao-ching in a tightly-contested match Credit: Reuters With a combined age of 90, the middle-aged Williams sisters might not be as agile these days as they used to be in their pomp but they momentarily turned back time, producing the odd moments of magic. And in a coin-flip of a match they fell just the wrong side of the result, losing 6-3 6-7 7-6 to Australian Maya Joint and Taiwan’s Chan Hao-ching in the women’s doubles competition. Sign up for the Sport newsletter Thank you! Only once before had a doubles tie received such TV exposure, but then this was the Williams siblings, the winners of 14 Slams as a pairing, including the 1999 and 2009 US Opens. They had planned to play as a combo at Wimbledon but it never materialised after Serena, 44, tweaked her knee in a first-round singles loss to Joint on Centre Court. The question now is whether they will choose to continue their partnership going forward. Was this a one-off, inspired by the encouragement of Serena’s eldest daughter, or will they look perhaps towards the LA 2028 Olympics, which are close to where they grew up in Compton? Serena is keen to play singles again and close pal Caroline Wozniacki teased that while commentating on the action on US TV. The sport’s GOAT is a slimmed-down figure these days, having claimed to have shed 31lbs in 20 months while using fat-slimming jab Ro. Most read in Sport The pair were not quite their dominant past selves, but at 46 and 44, they gave their opponents quite the test Credit: Splash The sisters could face hefty fines for refusing to participate in press commitments Credit: Getty An advert for that controversial firm was aired during the contest on ESPN2 and that sponsorship was a major reason behind her comeback this summer following a four-year absence from the Tour. However, the Williams sisters have chosen not to reveal their immediate plans, refusing to speak to the world’s media following a three-set epic as they drove off as a gang towards Manhattan. The United States Tennis Association said the duo would “not be available for press” – and frankly the Williams clan usually do whatever they want and get away with it. But the USTA have it in their power, as per the Grand Slam rule book, to fine them both for their withdrawal, unless there are “reasonable grounds” like injury or illness. Technically, they could be hit with fines up to $50,000 (£37,000) for skipping mandatory media duties but it is unlikely they would be hurt that hard in the pocket. Serena may not wish to talk but she will certainly want to improve her serve if she does return for 2027 as she was carried at times by the 46-year-old Venus. The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion may have once been the greatest serve of all time but she was rusty here – this was a night to forget in that department. Together, the Californian-raised stars produced TEN double faults between them and that essentially was the difference between winning and losing. How to watch the 2026 US Open THE 2026 US Open is here and there are plenty of ways to get in on the action. The top stars including Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka are going for glory, and you don’t want to miss out on any of the action. 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It is unclear what the future holds for the sisters as a doubles pairing Credit: Getty Joint, 20, had the experience of playing Serena at Wimbledon but buckled in the clutch moments and lost her head, swinging wildly and missing her service spots. Not the first time this fortnight there had been a dodgy joint at Flushing Meadows. Still, if it ends up being the last time the Williams are a force together, then they went out swinging and left everything out on the court. Wozniacki, the former Australian Open champion, said: “What an incredible atmosphere it was and how much fun it was to be a part of this match. “We don’t know how much longer we get to see Venus and Serena but tonight was a real treat. “They leave as winners in the hearts of all the New Yorkers in this stadium.” Comment now