Serena Williams is set to make another return to competitive tennis at the age of 44, reuniting with her sister, Venus Williams, for the first time in nearly four years.
Tournament organisers have announced that the legendary siblings have been awarded a wild-card entry into the doubles draw for this month’s Cincinnati Open in Ohio.
The Williams sisters last played together in doubles at the 2022 US Open, making the Cincinnati Open their first appearance as a team at the hard-court warm-up event in Mason, Ohio.
The pair had also received a wild-card entry for the doubles competition at Wimbledon in June, but Serena was forced to withdraw because of a knee injury. Together, the sisters have won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles and three Olympic gold medals.
Venus, 46, is also scheduled to compete in the mixed doubles event at the US Open later this month alongside Alexander Bublik.
Serena’s most recent comeback earlier this year was short-lived, lasting only three matches. She began with a first-round doubles victory at Queen’s Club alongside Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko, but the pair later withdrew after Mboko suffered an MCL knee injury.
Williams then partnered Karolina Muchová in the doubles event in Berlin, where they were defeated, before concluding her comeback with a 6-3, 6-7, 6-3 first-round singles loss to Maya Joint on Centre Court at Wimbledon.
Announcing her withdrawal from Wimbledon doubles, Serena wrote on Instagram: “I’m heartbroken to have to withdraw from doubles. Coming back to compete again has been a gift, and the opportunity to play alongside Venus once more meant the world to me. I did everything I could, but unfortunately my knee just isn’t ready to compete.
“I’m especially grateful to tournament director Jamie Baker and the entire tournament team for giving me every opportunity to recover. Thank you to the fans for your incredible support and for making this comeback so meaningful. All I can say is stay tuned to a city near you.”
