Serena Williams fled US Open and left sister Venus behind after humiliating night
Serena Williams fled US Open and left sister Venus behind after humiliating night
Andrew GambleTue, September 8, 2026 at 12:35 AM UTC
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Serena and Venus Williams teamed back up for a brief run at the US Open -Credit:Getty Images
Serena Williams left Venus Williams behind after their doubles comeback ended in defeat at the US Open.
The US Open dream is over for the Williams sisters following their collapse in the women’s doubles. On Friday night, the legendary duo faced Hao-Ching Chan and Maya Joint and came from a set down to tie the match and force a deciding set.
The third set went to a tiebreak, but the Williams sisters failed to capitalize on a 5-1 lead and were eliminated from the competition, losing 6-3, 6-7 (6), 7-6 (7). As the sisters were disappointed to exit the US Open, they declined to speak with the media, leaving members of the tennis press frustrated.
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Serena had been retired until this year, but she reunited with her sister at the US Open for the first time since 2022 after they were granted wildcards for the tournament. But despite the possibility that it could be their last time competing in New York, Serena and Venus - who have won 30 Grand Slam singles titles between them - skipped their media availability.
Following the loss, Venus reportedly expected to speak with the media. She went to the locker room to begin her process before going to the conference room.
However, Serena “fled the scene as fast as she could,” according to Bounces.
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Serena left the stadium in a private car directly from the court after losing on her return. While it is technically possible for just one member of a doubles pair to speak to media, Venus opted against doing press without her sister
After the match ended, the USTA informed credentialed media who had requested the Williams sisters that they would “not be available for press tonight.” Per the US Open guidelines, athletes who do not fulfill their media obligations may be fined - but the American duo escaped discipline, too.
Serena Williams called time on her iconic career at the 2022 US Open -Credit:Getty Images
Ahead of her first doubles match with Venus since 2022, Serena took part in the mixed-doubles tournament ahead of the US Open. She was paired with Carlos Alcaraz, and the duo defeated Lloyd Glasspool and Erin Routliffe before being knocked out in the quarterfinals by Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli.
Speaking then, Serena told reporters: “I never expected to be back on this court.”
The 23-time Grand Slam champion added: “It’s just a really cool moment. I never thought this would happen.”
While the Williams sisters refused to speak, Joint and Chan did discuss their victory on court after the match. “It was an amazing match,” Joint said. “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.”
It was the second time that Joint has eliminated Serena this year, after ending her dream Wimbledon return.
It remains to be seen whether Serena or Venus will return in 2027. While Venus has been the more active player, Serena has refused to confirm her retirement and never made an official announcement when stepping away in 2022.
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
