The Williams sisters walked off the court at Arthur Ashe Stadium, side by side as they have been throughout their storied careers, for presumably the last time.
There wasn’t an empty seat in the stadium during the match, but in this moment, not a single seat was occupied as everyone in attendance was on their feet. A boisterous applause lingered with an understanding of the potential magnitude of the moment. Serena and Venus Williams waved, appreciatively.
A 7-6 (5), 6-4 loss to the Czech duo of Linda Noskova and Lucie Hradecka bounced the Williams sisters in the first round of the women’s doubles bracket at the U.S. Open on Thursday night. Noskova and Hradecka will advance, the women’s doubles tournament will go on, but it will likely never feature the 14-time doubles Grand Slam winners ever again — and that was the magnitude of the moment.
After a back-and-forth first set went to a tiebreaker, which also saw the Americans and Czechs trade points until the latter ran away with it, Noskova and Hradecka dominated the first three games of the second set. The Williams sisters, however, stormed back to tie it up 4-4.
But a series of unforced errors from Serena and Venus, coupled with Hradecka’s aggressive play at the net, resulted in an early exit from the doubles bracket. Serena will now turn her attention to her singles run as she takes on Ajla Tomljanovic in the third round on Friday night, while Venus’ U.S. Open is over after she lost in straight sets to Alison Van Uytvanck.
“We knew that almost all of the people were cheering for them,” said Hradecka, who apologized to the fans in attendance during her on-court interview. “But, I would say I like it. I love it when it’s a lot of people. I think it’s why we play tennis, because of the fans, so I would say that I really liked it.”
Venus and Serena Williams hug after their 7-6 (5), 6-4 U.S. Open doubles loss.ReutersSerena announced in a first-person essay on Vogue.com last month that she is “evolving” away from her playing career — characteristically refusing to call it retirement. And Vogue editor Anna Wintour poetically looked on as the 23-time major champion rounded out her doubles record to 192-35. The announcement certainly played a part in the Williams sisters landing the prime-time slot on Ashe, which is rarely seen in doubles.
While Venus hasn’t revealed much about her tennis future, the 42-year-old is likely nearing the end as well.
Earlier this week, Venus told reporters it was Serena’s idea to team up one last time in doubles. She jokingly called her younger sister “the boss.” Whatever sibling dynamic they have, it has resulted in 14 major doubles titles, including two in New York, and three Olympic gold medals.
From the public courts in Compton, Calif. to the legendary court at Arthur Ashe Stadium, the Williams sisters have blazed a trail.
Venus and Serena. Serena and Venus.
Competitors. Icons. Sisters.
One does not exist without the other. Their doubles legacy will live on.
