Williams sisters will face Peyton Stearns in Cincinnati Open doubles

The Cincinnati Open doubles draw has recently gained attention, with the arrival of tennis powerhouses Serena and Venus Williams. The legendary duo, who have claimed 14 Grand Slam doubles titles, will face off against Cincinnati native Peyton Stearns and her partner Marta Kostyuk in the first round at the Lindner Family Tennis Center. Both teams were granted wild cards for the event.

The doubles tournament kicks off on Sunday, Aug. 16, at the Lindner Family Tennis Center, although the order of play remains to be determined. Stearns, currently ranked WTA No. 53, recently secured her first-round singles victory over qualifier Harriet Dart. She is set to take on No. 27 seed Clara Tauson in Round of 64 on Center Court, opening the evening session on Saturday, Aug. 15.

Stearns, ranked No. 94 in doubles, made it to the quarterfinals of the Cincinnati Open doubles in 2023 alongside Marketa Vondrousova. Meanwhile, Serena Williams is making a comeback to the Cincinnati Open after a brief retirement earlier this summer. The 44-year-old previously played doubles in the HSBC Championships in London with Victoria Mboko and in the Berlin Open with Karolina Muchova.

Unfortunately, Serena suffered a knee injury during her first-round match against Maya Joint at Wimbledon, causing her and Venus to withdraw from doubles.

Venus Williams, 46, also suffered a first-round singles loss to Emiliana Arango in Cincinnati on Friday, Aug. 14. This article originally appeared in the Cincinnati Enquirer.