Venus and Serena Williams will compete together in the women’s doubles tournament at the U.S. Open for the first time in four years, according to an announcement by tournament organizers. The sisters received a wild-card entry for the event beginning Sept. 3, marking the 10th time they have teamed up in doubles at Flushing Meadows, where they boast a 27-7 match record and titles in 1999 and 2009.
Serena Williams Returns to Flushing Meadows for Doubles
The wild-card berth continues an unexpected return to competition for Serena Williams, who stepped away from professional tennis following the 2022 U.S. Open. The 44-year-old returned in June at the HSBC Championships in London, where she won a doubles match alongside Victoria Mboko before a knee injury forced Mboko to withdraw. Serena later competed in singles at Wimbledon, losing in the first round, and subsequently suffered a knee injury that prevented her from entering the singles draw in New York, according to her manager via ESPN’s Patrick McEnroe.
However, Serena has proved healthy enough for partner play this month. The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion teamed with 46-year-old Venus at the Cincinnati Open, falling in the first round. On Tuesday, Serena returned to Arthur Ashe Stadium for the mixed doubles tournament, playing alongside 23-year-old Carlos Alcaraz. The pair won a match before exiting in the quarterfinals. “I never expected to be back on this court, so it’s just a really cool moment,” Serena said Tuesday. “I never thought this would happen.” Overall, the Williams sisters have secured 22 doubles titles together, including 14 at major tournaments, with their most recent Grand Slam victory coming at Wimbledon in 2016. Last year, Venus partnered with 23-year-old Leylah Fernandez to reach the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open doubles draw.
Stan Wawrinka Awarded Late Wild Card
Three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka will also compete in the tournament after receiving a late wild-card entry, according to tournament officials. The 41-year-old Swiss player will replace Patrick Kypson, who withdrew due to an injury. The inclusion resolves an initial omission that drew criticism after Wawrinka was left off the initial wild-card list for what is planned as his final professional season. Wawrinka won the U.S. Open in 2016 by defeating Novak Djokovic in the final. “I’m incredibly excited to accept the wild card for the 2026 US Open and look forward to competing in front of the fans in New York once again,” Wawrinka said.