Serena and Venus Williams have been awarded a doubles wildcard for the 2026 Cincinnati Open, marking their first appearance as a team since the 2022 US Open
The announcement follows Serena’s return to professional tennis at Wimbledon in July, where a knee injury forced the sisters to withdraw from their scheduled doubles reunion
In addition to their doubles entry, 46-year-old Venus Williams received a singles wildcard for the tournament ahead of the US Open in late August
Serena Williams and Venus Williams are preparing to reunite on the doubles court after receiving a wildcard entry for the Cincinnati Open. The legendary duo last competed as a team at the 2022 US Open, where they fell to Czech players Lucie Hradecka and Linda Noskova. Playing together in the Ohio hard-court tournament marks the first time the sisters will take the court as a doubles pairing at this specific event. The highly anticipated return arrives just weeks before the final Grand Slam of the year begins in New York on August 31.
The Cincinnati comeback follows a scrapped reunion earlier this summer. Both sisters were slated to play doubles at Wimbledon last month but were forced to withdraw from the draw after 44-year-old Serena suffered a knee injury. The physical setback also impacted her singles campaign, which ended in a first-round loss to Australian prospect Maya Joint. Tournament organizers confirmed that Venus will also compete in the Cincinnati singles draw. The 46-year-old boasts a 12-10 career record at the venue and previously reached the semifinals in 2012.
Adding the Williams sisters to the field injects undeniable star power into the summer schedule. Together the pair has captured 14 Grand Slam doubles titles and three Olympic gold medals. The upcoming appearance serves as a critical tune-up for both athletes. Beyond the sibling reunion in Ohio, Venus is already scheduled to play mixed doubles alongside Alexander Bublik at the US Open. Main draw action for the Cincinnati Open is slated to begin on August 11.
