US Open doubles: Serena & Venus face 14th seeds Chan and Joint in opener
Synopsis
After two years away from Grand Slam doubles together, Serena and Venus Williams walk back into Flushing Meadows facing an immediate seeded test — opponents who already have history against them, individually and as a pair. With 14 Grand Slam doubles titles between them but no win since Roland Garros 2018, the sisters need more than nostalgia to go deep.
Key Takeaways
Serena and Venus Williams return to US Open doubles together for the first time since 2022 , facing 14th seeds Chan Hao-Ching and Maya Joint in the first round.
The sisters are two-time US Open doubles champions ( 1999 , 2009 ) and hold 14 Grand Slam doubles titles together.
Their last doubles title as a pair was at Roland Garros in 2018 ; their most recent outing was a first-round loss in Cincinnati .
Maya Joint defeated Serena in singles at Wimbledon ; Chan Hao-Ching beat the Williams sisters as a team in Beijing in 2013 .
A potential third-round clash with fourth seeds Hsieh Su-Wei and Jelena Ostapenko awaits if they advance.
Top seeds Siniakova and Townsend — twice runners-up together — open against American wild cards Brantmeier and Broadus .
Serena Williams and Venus Williams will launch their US Open women's doubles campaign against 14th seeds Chan Hao-Ching and Maya Joint at Flushing Meadows, with the draw handing the two-time champions an immediate seeded test on their return to Grand Slam doubles together. The sisters step back onto the US Open doubles court for the first time since 2022, reuniting one of tennis' most decorated partnerships at the tournament where it began.
A Partnership That Spans Three Decades
The Williams sisters first appeared together in the US Open doubles draw in 1997, going on to claim the title in 1999 and again in 2009. Those victories are part of a combined haul of 14 Grand Slam women's doubles titles — a record that places them among the greatest doubles teams in the sport's history. Their last title as a pair, however, came at Roland Garros in 2018, and the search for a 15th Grand Slam doubles crown together continues.
Their most recent outing as a team came at Cincinnati, three weeks before the US Open, where they fell in a deciding match tie-break to Marta Kostyuk and Peyton Stearns. The New York major now offers them a fresh opportunity to convert momentum into results at a venue steeped in personal history.
Opponents Arrive in Form — With Relevant History
Chan Hao-Ching and Maya Joint are a recently formed partnership but have already demonstrated their quality, reaching the final in Memphis, the second round in Toronto, and the quarterfinals in Cincinnati. Their trajectory gives the Williams sisters little room to ease into the tournament.
The matchup carries additional storylines. Joint, an Australian, defeated Serena in three sets in the opening round at Wimbledon — Serena's only singles match of her comeback so far. Chan, representing Chinese Taipei, has also beaten the Williams sisters as a pair before: alongside Liezel Huber, she defeated Serena and Venus in the first round in Beijing in 2013. Serena did earn a measure of revenge in 2022, partnering Ons Jabeur to beat Chan and Shuko Aoyama at Eastbourne.
The Road Ahead for the Williams Sisters
Should Serena and Venus advance past the first round, they would face either Nicole Fossa Huergo and Tamara Korpatsch or Jesika Maleckova and Miriam Skoch. A potential third-round meeting with fourth seeds Hsieh Su-Wei and Jelena Ostapenko could follow if results go accordingly.
Key Storylines Elsewhere in the Draw
Top seeds Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend begin their campaign against American wild cards Reese Brantmeier and Savannah Broadus. Siniakova won the US Open doubles crown in 2022 alongside Barbora Krejcikova, while Townsend has been runner-up twice — with Caty McNally in 2022 and alongside Siniakova last year. The defending champions will not reunite this season: Gabriela Dabrowski has paired with Luisa Stefani as second seeds, facing Anastasia Detiuc and Irina Khromacheva in their opener. Erin Routliffe partners Aldila Sutjiadi as ninth seeds against Ann Li and Clara Tauson.
An eye-catching first-round contest also features former champion Sara Errani alongside 18-year-old Lilli Tagger, taking on 16-year-old American twins Annika and Kristina Penickova. Errani and Tagger reached the second round at Roland Garros earlier this season and could meet Dabrowski and Stefani in the next round if both advance.
With the Williams sisters back at Flushing Meadows, the US Open doubles draw has a marquee narrative from the very first round — and one that could deepen with each win they accumulate.
Point of View
But the draw has not been kind. Chan and Joint are not a soft opener — they are a fast-rising team with specific wins over both women. The more pointed question is whether Serena and Venus, without a doubles title in six years, can rediscover the chemistry that produced 14 Grand Slams, or whether this reunion is better understood as a farewell tour dressed in competitive clothing. The Cincinnati loss in a match tie-break suggests the desire is real; the results will determine whether the capability still matches it.
NationPress
2 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
When do Serena and Venus Williams play their US Open doubles first-round match?
The Williams sisters are scheduled to face 14th seeds Chan Hao-Ching and Maya Joint in the first round of the US Open women's doubles at Flushing Meadows. The draw was confirmed ahead of the tournament's start in early September 2024.
How many US Open doubles titles have Serena and Venus Williams won together?
Serena and Venus have won the US Open women's doubles title twice — in 1999 and 2009. Those victories are part of their combined 14 Grand Slam women's doubles titles as a pair.
Who are Chan Hao-Ching and Maya Joint?
Chan Hao-Ching is a Chinese Taipei player and experienced doubles specialist; Maya Joint is an Australian player. The two have recently partnered and have already reached the final in Memphis, the second round in Toronto, and the quarterfinals in Cincinnati.
What is the recent history between the Williams sisters and their first-round opponents?
Maya Joint defeated Serena Williams in three sets in the singles first round at Wimbledon — Serena's only singles match of her comeback. Chan Hao-Ching, playing alongside Liezel Huber, beat Serena and Venus as a doubles team in Beijing in 2013.
What is the Williams sisters' last result in doubles together?
Their most recent outing as a team was at the Cincinnati tournament three weeks before the US Open, where they were beaten in a deciding match tie-break by Marta Kostyuk and Peyton Stearns. Their last Grand Slam doubles appearance together before this US Open was also at Flushing Meadows in 2022.
