Williams sisters lose on doubles return

Serena and Venus Williams experienced a challenging comeback in their first doubles match together in four years at the Cincinnati Open. The sisters, who had last played together at the 2022 US Open, were defeated 2-6, 6-1, 10-8 by Marta Kostyuk and Peyton Stearns. Venus, 46, expressed that they were excited to return to the doubles court and support each other.

Serena, 44, had recently returned from a knee injury which forced her to miss Wimbledon, while Venus had played in a few singles and doubles events in recent weeks. Despite a sluggish start, the sisters managed to shake off what Serena referred to as "a little rust." They managed to force a tie-break in the final set, but ultimately fell short due to a double fault by Venus.

The sisters would need wildcards to compete in singles or doubles at the upcoming US Open, which starts on August 30. Serena has only played one singles match after returning from her injury, while Venus has struggled in singles but has had more success in doubles, reaching the quarter-finals at the US Open last year. Elena Rybakina, the world number two, beat Magdalena Frech 6-4, 7-6 (7-2) to advance to the fourth round.

If Rybakina reaches the final, she could surpass world number two Aryna Sabalenka in the rankings. Iga Swiatek, Canadian Open champion, overcame a shaky start to defeat Greece's Maria Sakarri 4-6, 6-1, 6-1. Jessica Pegula, the third seed, also won against Emma Navarro 7-5, 6-2.