The Williams Duo Departs... Zverev Advances in Cincinnati

Sisters Serena and Venus Williams suffered their first doubles loss together since 2022, while top-ranked German men’s player Alexander Zverev narrowly advanced to the fourth round of the $10 million Cincinnati tennis tournament yesterday.

The Williams sisters, who have won 14 Grand Slam titles together and three Olympic gold medals, appeared together in competition for the first time since the 2022 US Open, but were defeated by American Peyton Stearns and Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk, 6-2, 1-6, and 10-8.

Serena said, “It was fun and special. We got rid of some of the effects of being away from competition.” She added, “I didn’t come here to win this title. It’s about enjoying myself, and I wanted to give my best.”

Serena, 44, and Venus, 46, each lost their serve once in the first set, squandering six of the final seven games. They dominated the second set and came back from a 2-8 deficit in the 10-point tiebreak of the third set before losing on a double fault by Venus.

In the men’s draw, German Roland Garros champion Zverev defeated Frenchman Ugo Humbert 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (8-6). Zverev secured the victory against the Frenchman, who reached the Cincinnati semifinals in 2025, with a powerful backhand. Zverev said, “He played with an amazing aggressive style, hitting forehands all over the court, making it difficult for you to be aggressive yourself.”