Williams sisters will face Peyton Stearns in Cincinnati Open doubles

The Cincinnati Open's doubles draw generated significant attention when it was announced on Friday, Aug. 14, as the renowned pair of Serena and Venus Williams are set to compete together for the very first time since the 2022 U.S. Open in New York. The sisters, who have amassed an impressive 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 doubles teams were granted wild cards to participate in the event. The doubles draw is scheduled to commence on Sunday, Aug. 16, at the Lindner Family Tennis Center, although the exact order of play has yet to be determined.

Peyton Stearns, currently ranked WTA No. 53, successfully clinched her first-round singles match by defeating qualifier Harriet Dart in straight sets on Friday. Stearns, ranked No. 94 in doubles, is set to take on No. 27 seed Clara Tauson in the Round of 64 on Center Court, marking the opening match of the night session on Saturday, Aug. 15. Last year, Stearns reached the Cincinnati Open doubles quarterfinals alongside Marketa Vondrousova.

Serena Williams is making her return to the Cincinnati Open after taking an extended break, aiming to resume her career at the tournament for the first time since 2022. The 44-year-old had previously left the sport earlier this summer but has since made a comeback, competing in doubles events at the HSBC Championships in London with Victoria Mboko and at the VANDA Pharmaceuticals Berlin Open alongside Karolina Muchova.

However, at Wimbledon, Serena suffered a knee injury during her first-round loss to Maya Joint, leading to her and Venus's withdrawal from the doubles competition.

Serena and Venus have never previously faced each other in doubles at the Cincinnati Open. Venus, currently 46 years old, suffered a first-round singles defeat to Emiliana Arango in straight sets during Friday's matches in Cincinnati.