The Williams sisters made a thrilling return under the lights of Arthur Ashe Stadium, playing together at a major tournament for the first time since 2022, but managed to throw away a winning position in the final seconds of their match.
Competing strongly despite a combined age of 90 years, the sisters seemed to be on their way to the second round of the US Open when they led 5-0 in the 10-point deciding-set tie-break.
But closing out wins does not get any easier with age. Even though 46-year-old Venus had been the best player on the court for much of this entertaining match against Maya Joint and Chan Hao-ching, she tightened up on her volleys at the crucial moment and contributed to a slide in which the sisters lost 10 of the final 12 points.
After their 6-3, 6-7, 7-6 defeat, they declined to fulfil their media commitments – a breach of regulations which could, in theory, earn them a fine of $50,000 (£37,000), but which is unlikely to be punished by the tennis authorities.
After a week in which the cavernous Arthur Ashe Stadium had hummed with the constant buzz of conversation, the fans stopped and watched in silence when the Williamses were playing rallies, and erupted in noisy celebration every time they won a point.
The enthusiasm generated by these fading giants is not in doubt, but Serena in particular looked off the pace as she struggled to land either her serves or her returns for much of the match. Those close to her believe that she still has aspirations to play more competitive singles tennis, but there is little evidence to suggest that she can find the requisite level.
One curious aspect of Serena’s return this season is that she keeps being drawn against the same players. Maya Joint, a tricky and unpredictable Australian, was also her opponent in her singles match at Wimbledon just over two months ago. After that 6-3, 6-7, 6-3 defeat – which had a similar trajectory to this doubles meeting – Serena suffered such dramatic swelling in her right knee that she needed to extract four syringes of fluid from the joint.
In doubles, meanwhile, Serena has played New Zealand’s Erin Routliffe three times – at Queen’s, in Berlin, and then last week while teaming up with US Open favourite Carlos Alcaraz in the “reimagined” mixed doubles event. At least she came away on the right side of that seasonal rivalry, collecting two wins to place against one defeat.
Alcaraz was also in action on Friday, scoring a straight-sets win over China’s Wu Yibing. His post-match press conference featured a discussion of his unconventional kit, designed by rapper and Odyssey star Travis Scott, which had featured a loose-fitting tank top that failed to adequately cover his nipples.
“I think I saw my nipple too much lately,” said Alcaraz, who supplemented his outfit with a more discreet undershirt for this third-round encounter. “I felt like, you know, I could hide it for at least one match.
Asked if his revealing outfit had been distracting him, Alcaraz replied “Maybe the second round was a little bit distracting for me, but not that much. I feel really comfortable with another shirt. So I think I’m gonna stay like that.”