{
  "id": 1657061,
  "title": "Williams sisters team up for first time in four years, lose in Cincinnati Open opening tennis match",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/williams-sisters-team-up-for-first-time-in-four-years-lose-in",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-18T07:02:50.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Jerusalem Post",
    "slug": "jerusalem-post",
    "url": "https://www.jpost.com/international/article-905859"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Serena and Venus Williams reunited for their first doubles match in four years at the Cincinnati Open on Monday, but the sisters fell short in their opening tennis match. Serena expressed that the experience was both fun and special, as they battled through rust and fatigue during the game. The 44-year-old returned to the tour this year, marking her first appearance since 2022, while Venus, 46, had a 3-9 doubles record and a 0-10 singles record in 2026. In the final tiebreaker, Stearns and Kostyuk (Ukraine) secured a 6-0 lead, which proved to be insurmountable as the Williams sisters lost 6-2, 1-6, 1-0 (8). Venus conceded, \"It's our first time playing together in forever. It was great for us to get out there and do it.\"",
  "summary": "\"I thought it was fun,\" Serena said. \"I thought it was special. We kicked off a little rust in the middle of the match and just, you know, (we were) starting to feel it.\"",
  "key_points": [
    "Serena and Venus Williams reunited for first doubles match in four years",
    "Serena 44, Venus 46, returned to tour in 2023",
    "Stearns and Kostyuk won 6-2, 1-6, 1-0 (8)"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The loss marks a setback for the Williams sisters, but their reunion shows they still value teaming up, with Serena calling the experience fun and special despite the rust and fatigue.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}