Former world number one Serena Williams is preparing for another return to competitive tennis, with the 44-year-old scheduled to play alongside her sister, Venus Williams, at the upcoming Cincinnati Open in Ohio.
Tournament organisers have confirmed that the legendary sisters have been awarded a wildcard entry into the doubles competition, marking their first appearance together on the court in nearly four years. The Cincinnati Open, one of the key hard-court tournaments leading up to the US Open, begins next week in Mason, Ohio.
The Williams sisters last teamed up at the 2022 US Open. Their latest appearance will also mark their first doubles partnership at the Cincinnati event in recent years.
Earlier this year, Serena and Venus were expected to feature together in the doubles draw at Wimbledon after receiving a wildcard. However, Serena was forced to withdraw because of a knee injury, preventing fans from seeing the iconic duo reunite.
Over the course of their remarkable careers, Serena and Venus have established themselves as one of the greatest doubles teams in tennis history. Together, they have claimed 14 Grand Slam doubles titles and won three Olympic gold medals.
Meanwhile, 46-year-old Venus Williams is also preparing for the US Open, where she is expected to compete in the mixed doubles event alongside Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik later this month.
Serena’s most recent comeback earlier this season was cut short after only three matches. She began with a doubles victory at Queen’s Club alongside Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko, but the partnership ended prematurely when Mboko suffered an MCL knee injury.
The American tennis great later partnered Karolina Muchova in Berlin but was eliminated in the doubles event before concluding her return with a first-round singles defeat to Australia’s Maya Joint at Wimbledon. Joint secured a hard-fought 6-3, 6-7, 6-3 victory on Centre Court.
Following her withdrawal from Wimbledon doubles, Serena expressed disappointment over the setback, saying she had hoped to share the court with her sister once again but was unable to recover fully from her knee problem.
She thanked tournament organisers and supporters for their encouragement during her comeback, adding that fans should “stay tuned” for future appearances.
The upcoming Cincinnati Open now presents another opportunity for Serena Williams to return to competition while renewing one of tennis’ most celebrated partnerships with her sister, Venus Williams, ahead of the final Grand Slam of the season.
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