Williams sisters awarded doubles wild card for Cincinnati Open
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Venus Williams and Serena Williams are set to compete in the doubles at the Cincinnati Open.
PHOTO: REUTERS
CINCINNATI – Serena Williams and Venus Williams are set to make their Cincinnati Open doubles debut in August after being awarded a wild card on Aug 3, marking their return to doubles action for the first time since 2022.
The Williams sisters have won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles, including six at Wimbledon, plus three Olympic gold medals.
They last played doubles together at the 2022 US Open, where they lost to Czechs Lucie Hradecka and Linda Noskova.
In July, the sisters had to withdraw from the doubles draw at Wimbledon as Serena, 44, dealt with a knee injury.
The American’s highly anticipated return to Grand Slam tennis after four years away was ended at Wimbledon in a first-round loss to Australian youngster Maya Joint in the singles.
Venus, 46, has received a singles wild card for the Aug 11 to 23 tournament in Cincinnati.
While this is good news for tennis enthusiasts, they will however miss one of the sport’s fan favourites later in the month.
Former champion Emma Raducanu will not play in the US Open because of the stress fracture in her leg that also forced her to pull out of Wimbledon, British media reported on Aug 3.
Raducanu, 23, is currently undergoing rehabilitation for the injury, with the US Open’s main draw due to kick off in four weeks.
Reuters has contacted the Briton's representatives for comment.
Raducanu has struggled with injuries and illness throughout 2026, with a right foot injury she suffered in 2025 affecting her early season preparations and campaign.
An illness in February forced her out again for more than two months, and she returned for the end of the clay-court season with coach Andrew Richardson, who guided her to the US Open title in 2021.
The world No. 49 player reached her biggest final since her New York triumph at the Queen’s Club in June, but picked up the stress fracture in the same month that forced her out of Wimbledon. REUTERS
