{
  "id": 5697152,
  "title": "ESPN’s Patrick McEnroe identifies issue hampering Venus, Serena doubles comeback",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/05/espns-patrick-mcenroe-identifies-issue-hampering-venus-serena-doubles",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-05T02:40:57.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/espn-patrick-mcenroe-identifies-issue-024057255.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In the early stages of the women's doubles match at the 2026 US Open, Venus and Serena Williams were defeated by Maya Joint and Hao-Ching Chan. Despite the intense exhibition, ESPN analyst Patrick McEnroe noted a challenge facing the Williams sisters' comeback. The issue lies not in their age or physical prowess, but in the evolution of the game. Venus and Serena introduced a power-focused style in the late 1990s that revolutionized doubles tennis. However, today's players are more prepared to handle such aggressive play. During the match, Joint and Chan experienced moments of doubt, yet they managed to counteract the Williams sisters' strong serves. The victory of Joint and Chan in a ten-point third set tiebreaker indicates that Venus and Serena's pioneering tactics no longer hold the same dominance. Fans are eagerly anticipating the Williams sisters' return to singles play in 2027, with ESPN's Caroline Wozniacki and Malika Andrews hinting at their potential comeback.",
  "summary": "Venus and Serena Williams fell short in their US Open doubles match, and ESPN's Patrick McEnroe cites one reason their comeback is hampered.",
  "key_points": [
    "Venus and Serena Williams defeated by Maya Joint and Hao-Ching Chan",
    "Issue: game evolution outpaces Williams sisters' power-focused style",
    "Joint and Chan won 10-point third set tiebreaker"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The Williams sisters' pioneering power-focused style in doubles tennis, which once gave them dominance, no longer holds the same sway as opponents have adapted to handle their aggressive play.",
  "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."
}