Williams sisters fall in Cincinnati doubles comeback, their first together since 2022

Serena and Venus Williams marked their return to

Serena and Venus Williams marked their return to doubles play with a hard-fought defeat, losing 2-6, 6-1, 10-8 to Marta Kostyuk and Peyton Stearns in the first round of the Cincinnati Open. It was their first match as a pair since the 2022 US Open, and the outcome came down to a tense match tiebreaker that slipped from their grasp.

The American sisters, who have won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles together, showed flashes of their old brilliance, especially in the second set, where they dominated to force the decisive super-tiebreak. The pair rallied from a 6-0 deficit in that final tiebreak, clawing back to level the score before a double-fault from Venus ended the contest.

Despite the loss, both sisters expressed joy at sharing the court again. They described the reunion as "fun" and emphasized the positive experience of competing together once more, even if the result wasn't in their favor.

The match marked a rare appearance for the

The match marked a rare appearance for the duo outside of major tournaments, as they hadn't played doubles in a non-Grand Slam event since the Italian Open in 2016. Their last prior outing had been at the 2022 US Open, where they also fell in the first round.

Serena, now 42, and Venus, 44, have been selective in their competitive appearances in recent years, making this doubles comeback a special moment for tennis fans. Kostyuk and Stearns, both rising stars on the tour, held their nerve in the clutch moments to secure the win.

The Cincinnati Open continues this week, with singles and doubles action featuring many of the world's top players, though the Williams sisters' time in Ohio has now come to an end.