By Prosper Mene
Serena Williams will return to the court alongside her sister Venus at the Cincinnati Open, with the pair receiving a wild-card entry into the women’s doubles draw.
The appearance will mark their first doubles partnership since the 2022 US Open and comes weeks after a knee injury forced Serena to withdraw from a planned reunion at Wimbledon.
The WTA 1000 event in Mason, Ohio, runs in mid-August (with the main draw beginning around August 11–13).
Serena, 44, will team with 46-year-old Venus in what tournament organizers and reports describe as a potential stepping stone toward a possible US Open appearance later in the summer—the final Grand Slam of the year, where Serena has not competed since 2022.
Serena’s highly anticipated comeback began earlier in the grass-court season. After nearly four years away from professional competition, she played doubles at Queen’s Club (partnering Victoria Mboko) and in Berlin before receiving a singles wild card at Wimbledon. There, she lost in the first round to Australia’s Maya Joint in three sets. During the match she tweaked her right knee, which later required fluid drainage. She withdrew from the sisters’ scheduled doubles match, posting that she was “heartbroken” and that her knee “just isn’t ready to compete,” while noting the opportunity to play with Venus had meant the world to her.
The Williams sisters rank among the most successful doubles teams in tennis history. Together they have captured 14 Grand Slam titles, including six at Wimbledon and three Olympic gold medals. Their last joint appearance came in the opening round of the 2022 US Open. Venus has also been awarded a singles wild card for Cincinnati.
Cincinnati serves as a key hard-court tune-up before the US Open, which begins in late August. Serena has not yet confirmed broader plans beyond doubles in Ohio, but the entry keeps open the possibility of further competition this summer.
