Return of the Williams Sisters<\/p>\n
At that same Wimbledon tournament, Serena was awarded a wildcard to play women\u2019s doubles with her sister Venus for the first time<\/a> since the 2022 US Open. The pair unfortunately had to cancel their first match against Solana Sierra and Camila Osorio due to a knee injury Serena sustained in her singles match.<\/p>\n An injury so soon after her return to competition was not a positive sign, but Serena persisted. She and Venus received a wildcard to the Cincinnati Open. They faced Marta Kostyuk and Peyton Stearns and lost in a fierce 6-2, 1-6, 10-8 showdown. At the US Open, the Williams Sisters received another wildcard and again lost in the opening round, this time to Maya Joint and Chan Hao-ching.<\/p>\n Serena\u2019s on-court chemistry with her sister was clearly there in these two doubles matches, overcoming many concerns that critics had about their combined age. They also continually forced their opponents to make errors through well-placed shots. Still, the Williams sisters were not able to convert several key break opportunities in both matches.<\/p>\n Mixed Doubles Return at the US Open<\/p>\n Serena Williams also made a thrilling comeback to mixed doubles at the 2026 US Open. This was her least successful format, but she nevertheless won two Grand Slam titles playing with Max Mirnyi in 1998. Nearly thirty years later, she was partnered with freshly recovered Carlos Alcaraz<\/a>, and they received a wildcard.<\/p>\n Williams and Alcaraz won their opening round match against Erin Routliffe and Lloyd Glasspool in straight sets (5-3, 4-1). However, the pair lost their quarterfinal match against Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli 5-4, 4-1. In both matches, Serena showed great technique and power. One reporter even said she \u201chit some vintage shots that looked straight out of her prime.\u201d<\/p>\n Serena\u2019s Future Plans<\/p>\n At the Forbes Power Women’s Summit in early September, Williams clarified that her competitive return is \u201cnothing long-term. It’s more or less having a lot of fun. I think we as women are expected to wear several hats and not complain about it, and I feel like owning that message and owning that moment, and then I have two girls, and showing my girls that they can do that, too.\u201d<\/p>\n
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