Williams sisters get Cincinnati Open doubles wild card, first match since 2022 US Open
Synopsis
For the first time since the 2022 US Open, Serena and Venus Williams will share a doubles court — at the Cincinnati Open starting 13 August. With 14 Major doubles titles between them, the reunion is the headline act of the tournament, arriving as Serena continues her carefully staged comeback from nearly four years off the tour.
Key Takeaways
Serena Williams and Venus Williams have been awarded a doubles wild card for the Cincinnati Open ( 13–23 August ).
It will be their first doubles match together since the 2022 US Open — their first-ever appearance as a pair at Cincinnati.
As a doubles team, the sisters have won 14 Major titles and three Olympic gold medals .
Serena has been building her comeback since June, with doubles appearances at Queen's Club and Berlin , and a singles run at Wimbledon .
Venus , 46 , also received a singles wild card; she holds a 12-10 career record at Cincinnati with 49 career singles titles.
Other singles wild cards include Sloane Stephens and qualifying wild cards for Bianca Andreescu and Robin Montgomery .
Serena Williams and Venus Williams have been awarded a doubles wild card for the Cincinnati Open, scheduled from 13 to 23 August, marking their first competitive appearance together since the 2022 US Open. The reunion is one of the most anticipated storylines of the tournament, reuniting a partnership that has claimed 14 Major doubles titles and three Olympic gold medals.
A Historic Partnership Returns
The Williams sisters will be playing the Cincinnati Open together as a doubles team for the first time. Their combined doubles record at the Grand Slam level is unmatched in the Open Era, and their return to the court together — after nearly three years apart as a pair — has generated significant attention across the women's game.
This will also be the first time the duo contest a WTA 1000-level event in doubles since their last outing at the 2022 US Open.
Serena's Comeback Trail
Serena Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam singles champion, has been steadily building her return to competition after nearly four years away from the tour. She made her competitive comeback at Queen's Club in June, partnering Victoria Mboko in doubles, before appearing alongside Karolina Muchova in doubles in Berlin.
Serena subsequently returned to singles at Wimbledon, where she pushed 20-year-old Maya Joint to three sets before falling in the opening round. Cincinnati represents her next step in what has been a carefully staged return.
Venus Williams and the Singles Draw
Venus Williams, 46, has also received a singles wild card for the Cincinnati Open. She carries a 12-10 career record at the tournament, having reached the semifinals in 2012 and the quarterfinals in 2019. Venus first competed on the WTA Tour in 1994 and has accumulated 49 career singles titles, including seven Majors and the 2000 Olympic gold medal. She held the WTA No. 1 ranking for 11 weeks.
Joining Venus in the singles wild card list are Sloane Stephens, Taylor Townsend, Darja Vidmanova, Elvina Kalieva, Caroline Dolehide, and Lois Boisson.
Other Notable Wild Cards
Sloane Stephens, 33, a Cincinnati semifinalist in 2013, returns to the tournament for the first time since 2023. The American has won eight titles, including the 2017 US Open, and has been ranked as high as No. 3 in the world.
Taylor Townsend, winner of the 2023 Cincinnati doubles title, will headline the doubles draw as the world's No. 1 doubles team alongside Katerina Siniakova, after reaching her first WTA Tour singles final in Austin and climbing back inside the Top 100.
Qualifying wild cards have gone to 2019 US Open champion Bianca Andreescu, Akasha Urhobo, Carol Young Suh Lee, Jeline Vandromme, and Robin Montgomery, a 21-year-old American who claimed her first WTA title in June.
What to Watch
With Serena's fitness and match sharpness still being assessed after a long absence, and Venus competing at 46, their doubles run will be closely watched as a gauge of how far Serena's comeback has progressed. The Cincinnati Open runs from 13 to 23 August.
Point of View
But the scrutiny will be intense. What mainstream coverage underplays is Venus's own storyline: at 46, competing on the WTA Tour at all is remarkable, and her singles wild card — not just the doubles — deserves attention in its own right. Cincinnati's decision to hand both sisters multiple wild cards reflects the commercial reality of women's tennis: few names move the needle the way Williams does, singular or plural.
NationPress
4 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
When will Serena and Venus Williams play together at the Cincinnati Open?
The Cincinnati Open runs from 13 to 23 August, and the Williams sisters have been awarded a doubles wild card for the event. The exact match schedule has not yet been announced.
When did Serena and Venus Williams last play doubles together?
Their most recent doubles match together was at the 2022 US Open. The Cincinnati Open will mark their first appearance as a doubles pair since then, and their first-ever doubles outing together at Cincinnati.
How many Grand Slam doubles titles have the Williams sisters won together?
Serena and Venus Williams have won 14 Major doubles titles together, along with three Olympic gold medals, making them one of the most decorated doubles partnerships in tennis history.
What is Serena Williams' comeback record ahead of Cincinnati?
Serena returned to competition in June at Queen's Club in doubles with Victoria Mboko, followed by a doubles appearance in Berlin with Karolina Muchova. She then played singles at Wimbledon, losing in the first round to Maya Joint in three sets.
Who else received wild cards for the 2025 Cincinnati Open?
Singles wild cards went to Venus Williams, Sloane Stephens, Taylor Townsend, Darja Vidmanova, Elvina Kalieva, Caroline Dolehide, and Lois Boisson. Qualifying wild cards were awarded to Bianca Andreescu, Akasha Urhobo, Carol Young Suh Lee, Jeline Vandromme, and Robin Montgomery.
