Serena and Venus Williams will play women’s doubles together at the 2026 US Open after being awarded a wild card entry, marking their first joint Grand Slam doubles appearance since 2022 and adding one of the most anticipated storylines of this year’s tournament at Flushing Meadows.
The wild card was announced on Wednesday, confirming what had been widely speculated since Serena’s competitive return gained momentum earlier in the year. The pairing brings together two of the most decorated figures in tennis history, whose doubles partnership has been a celebrated feature of the sport for more than two decades.
What happened
The Williams sisters received a wild card into the women’s doubles draw at the 2026 US Open, granting them direct entry into the main draw without needing to qualify through ranking. The announcement was made on Wednesday.
The reunion in doubles follows Serena’s earlier appearance at this year’s tournament in mixed doubles, where she partnered with Carlos Alcaraz. That pairing drew considerable attention, pairing one of the sport’s all-time greats with one of its contemporary leading men.
The two-time US Open women’s doubles champions have not competed together at Flushing Meadows since 2022, when they also received a wild card entry. That appearance came during a period in which both sisters had reduced their tournament schedules, and it generated significant public interest as fans wondered whether additional joint appearances would follow.
Their joint US Open doubles titles came in 1999 and 2009, bookending a partnership that has also included Grand Slam doubles success at Wimbledon, the Australian Open, and the French Open. The sisters have also won Olympic gold in women’s doubles, at the 2008 Beijing Games and the 2012 London Games.
Why it matters
The wild card entry reflects both the United States Tennis Association’s recognition of the Williams sisters’ historic contribution to the tournament and the commercial and emotional pull their presence generates. The USTA has a longstanding practice of awarding wild cards to American players of stature, and the Williams sisters’ case is one of the clearest examples of legacy recognition intersecting with competitive viability.
For Serena, who stepped away from professional tennis in 2022 before signaling a return to competition, the doubles draw offers a path back into Grand Slam competition in a format that rewards experience, court craft, and partnership chemistry rather than the physical demands of singles play. Doubles reduces the per-player workload, allowing veterans to extend their careers while remaining competitive.
For Venus, the elder Williams sister, the pairing presents an opportunity to compete on one of the sport’s biggest stages alongside her sister in a discipline where their combined instincts and communication remain difficult to counter. Venus has competed in fewer events in recent seasons, with age-related challenges limiting her singles results, but doubles has continued to offer a viable competitive format.
The announcement also carries symbolic weight. The Williams sisters’ careers have been closely associated with the US Open, where Serena won her first Grand Slam singles title in 1999 and where both have produced some of their most memorable performances. Their joint appearance reinforces the tournament’s long historical connection to one of American sport’s most influential families.
Background and context
The Williams sisters’ doubles career began in the late 1990s and quickly established them as a dominant force. Their first Grand Slam doubles title came at the 1999 Australian Open, followed by their first US Open doubles crown later that year. Over the following two decades, they assembled one of the most successful doubles résumés in women’s tennis, compiling 14 Grand Slam women’s doubles titles as a team.
Their joint appearances at major tournaments became cultural events, drawing television audiences and ticket demand that extended well beyond the traditional tennis fan base. The sisters’ success helped broaden the sport’s appeal, particularly in the United States, and contributed to a period of sustained American prominence in women’s tennis.
Serena’s career has been defined primarily by her singles achievements, including 23 Grand Slam singles titles, the most by any player in the Open Era. Venus, a seven-time Grand Slam singles champion, has similarly built a Hall of Fame-caliber career, though injuries and health conditions, including her public disclosure of Sjögren’s syndrome, have shaped her later years on tour.
Serena’s departure from the sport in 2022 came shortly after her final professional appearance at the US Open that year, in which she was eliminated in the third round. The period since has been marked by occasional indications of a possible return, including exhibition appearances and public statements about her continued attachment to competitive tennis.
Her 2026 return has progressed gradually, with increasing match activity throughout the year. The mixed doubles appearance with Alcaraz earlier in the tournament was among her first competitive outings at a Grand Slam event since her departure, and the women’s doubles entry represents a further step in what has been a carefully managed return to the tour.
The USTA’s wild card decisions are made by a committee that considers factors including ranking, past performance, and contribution to the sport. American players have historically received favorable consideration, and the Williams sisters’ profile makes them natural recipients of such recognition.
What to watch next
The immediate focus will be on the doubles draw, which will determine the Williams sisters’ first-round opponents. Higher-seeded teams typically receive favorable early-round matchups, but the wild card entry places the sisters among the unseeded teams in the draw, leaving open the possibility of an early encounter with a top pairing.
Serena’s physical condition and match sharpness will also be a focus. She has played limited competitive tennis since her return, and doubles places different physical demands on players than singles, with shorter points and a greater emphasis on net play. Her effectiveness in the format will depend on how well her game has held up during her time away from full-time competition.
Venus’s role within the partnership will likewise draw attention. The sisters have historically split responsibilities in ways that play to their respective strengths, with Venus often anchoring the net and Serena providing power from the baseline. How that dynamic translates in 2026, given both players’ reduced recent match activity, will be a recurring storyline throughout their run.
The broader US Open field, including the singles draws, will continue alongside the doubles competition. The 2026 tournament has already produced notable storylines, and the Williams sisters’ doubles run is expected to remain among the most closely followed.
Whether this appearance marks a one-off reunion or the beginning of additional joint events remains uncertain. The sisters have not publicly committed to a schedule beyond the US Open, and any decision on further appearances will likely depend on how this tournament unfolds and how both players assess their competitive readiness.
Conclusion
The Williams sisters’ return to US Open doubles, four years after their previous joint appearance at Flushing Meadows, brings together two of the most consequential figures in modern tennis for what is likely to be one of the most-watched draws of the 2026 tournament. The wild card entry reflects both their unmatched legacy and the USTA’s interest in leveraging that history for the tournament’s broader appeal.
For Serena, the event represents another step in a return to competitive tennis that has been measured and gradual. For Venus, it offers a chance to compete on a major stage alongside her sister in a format that has historically suited her game. And for fans, it provides a rare opportunity to see the pair compete together at a venue where much of their shared history was written.
The outcome on court remains to be determined, but the significance of the entry itself is already established. The Williams sisters at the US Open, in any discipline, remains one of the sport’s most compelling spectacles.
Sources
Guardian International (theguardian.com)
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Story synopsis gathered from: Guardian International — source
