Defeated, but cheered on: Venus and Serena Williams play together again four years later

After a previous attempt was cut short by an injury, the Williams sisters played a match together again. It was at the women's doubles tournament of the Cincinnati Open that, despite their loss, one of tennis's most iconic and decorated pairs was cheered by the crowd.

Venus (46) and Serena Williams (44) took to the court together to face American Peyton Stearns and Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk, both 24, in the tournament serving as a warm-up for the US Open. The veteran players were eliminated after losing the match in three sets (6-2, 1-6, and 10-8).

Despite the loss, the most iconic sisters in sports history put on a strong performance, particularly in the second set.

The Williams sisters' return was scheduled to take place at Wimbledon in early July. However, an injury to Serena's right knee prevented them from returning to the courts together.

The last time they played together was in September 2022, when they bid farewell at that season's U.S. Open.

Venus and Serena Williams, unbeatable in Grand Slams

Individually, they have won a total of 30 Grand Slam titles—23 for Serena and seven for Venus—a record that sometimes overshadows their tremendous success in doubles. Together, they not only formed one of the most formidable pairs in tennis history, but they also redefined power, chemistry, and collective success.

The Williams sisters' most staggering statistic in doubles is their effectiveness under peak pressure: they won all 14 Grand Slam finals they played between 1999 and 2016. Their combined trophy case breaks down as follows:

In addition, they won three Olympic gold medals (Sydney 2000, Beijing 2008, and London 2012) and simultaneously reached No. 1 in the WTA rankings in both singles and doubles.