Serena Williams and Venus Williams play their first doubles match together in four years at the Cincinnati Open, but they lose their opening match. They are beaten 2-6, 6-1, 10-8 by Marta Kostyuk and Peyton Stearns in a match decided by a super tiebreak.
Multiple outlets describe the loss as narrow and dramatic. The Williams sisters start with a heavy first-set defeat, then respond with a 6-1 second set, before the tiebreak goes down to the final points. Reporting notes Serena and Venus were still finding their rhythm, with comments from Serena indicating some early rust during the match. One account also points to a double-fault by Venus at a critical moment in the deciding tiebreak.
There is little disagreement about the scoreline, the opponent pair, or the fact that it is their first doubles reunion since the 2022 US Open. Several outlets emphasize that Serena and Venus view the match as enjoyable and special despite the early exit, while a few focus on the personal context of their return to play. Overall, all accounts concur the result ends their Cincinnati doubles run immediately, in their first non-Grand Slam doubles appearance together in years.
