Serena,Venus Williams blow 5–0 lead in US Open doubles thriller; Serena vows 'you can do anything at any age'

In one of the most dramatic opening‑round matches in recent US Open history, Serena and Venus Williams saw a near‑certain victory slip away as they lost their women’s doubles comeback tie 6‑3, 6‑7 (8‑6), 7‑6 (10‑7) to the 14th‑seeded pair of Chan Hao‑ching and Australia’s Maya Joint on Friday night at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

The match, which lasted three hours and two minutes, swung wildly between moments of vintage Williams power and untimely errors, culminating in a super tiebreaker that had the crowd on its feet. After trailing 4–1 in the third set, the Americans fought back to force the decider, then raced to a 5–0 lead in the 10‑point tiebreaker, appearing destined for a storybook win.

But double faults from both sisters at crucial junctures allowed Chan and Joint to win 10 of the last 12 points, sealing a 10–7 tiebreaker victory and sending the Williams’ US Open doubles campaign to an abrupt end.

For Serena Williams, the result was secondary to the larger message she hopes to send, especially to her daughters, Olympia and Adira. Speaking on Good Morning America earlier in the week, the 23‑time Grand Slam singles champion said her return at 44 is about proving that “you can do anything at any age as long as you work hard and put some effort and dedication behind it.”

She also revealed that Olympia was the one who suggested she team up with Venus in New York, turning a family conversation into a high‑stakes Grand Slam moment. Serena has repeatedly said she is not returning with a fixed agenda to win titles, but rather to test her limits and enjoy competing again after nearly four years away from the tour.

Before the women’s doubles tie, Serena had already made headlines by returning to Arthur Ashe in mixed doubles alongside Carlos Alcaraz. The wildcard pair won their opening match but fell in the quarterfinals to Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli, 5‑4 (4), 4‑1, in the tournament’s shortened mixed doubles format.

After that mixed doubles win, Serena told the US Open broadcast team she “never expected to be back on this court,” calling the moment “really cool” and something she “never thought would happen.” That sense of gratitude has framed her entire 2026 comeback, which began in June at Queen’s Club in London and included a first‑round singles loss at Wimbledon to Maya Joint—the same player who helped end her US Open doubles hopes alongside Chan.

Despite the crushing nature of the defeat, Serena has hinted that this may not be the end of her on‑court story. In a separate interview, she said she would “probably” play singles again, stressing that competing at 44 is as much about personal challenge as it is about results.

The Williams sisters, who have won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles together, last played as a pair at a major during Serena’s final tournament at the 2022 US Open. Their return four years later, at ages 44 and 46, drew a sell‑out crowd and global attention, even as the final scoreline denied them the fairytale finish many had hoped for.

For now, the focus shifts to what comes next: whether Serena adds more doubles events, targets another singles wildcard, or simply steps back having made her point—that age is not a barrier to stepping onto the biggest stages in sport.