Serena and Venus Williams suffered a heartbreaking first-round defeat at the US Open after losing a thrilling three-set battle to Maya Joint and Chan Hao-Ching.
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The Williams sisters went down 6-3, 6-7(6), 7-6(10-7) in a contest that lasted more than three hours at Arthur Ashe Stadium. The match marked their first appearance together at a Grand Slam since 2022.
Joint and Chan took control early, winning the opening set 6-3 and putting the sisters under pressure. Serena and Venus responded strongly in the second set, forcing a tiebreak and edging it to level the match.
The Williams sisters then appeared to have the momentum in the deciding set. After falling 4-1 behind, they fought back to level the set and eventually took a commanding 5-0 lead in the deciding super tiebreak.
However, Joint and Chan produced a remarkable turnaround, winning 10 of the next 12 points to complete the comeback and secure their place in the second round.
The defeat was particularly painful for Serena and Venus because of their extraordinary history together. The sisters have won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles and three Olympic gold medals, making their return to the US Open one of the most anticipated moments of the tournament.
For Joint and Chan, the victory was a major achievement against one of the most successful doubles partnerships in tennis history. They will now continue their US Open campaign in the second round.
Although the result ended the Williams sisters’ doubles run, their competitive performance and dramatic comeback provided a memorable night for the packed Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd.