Serena Williams returned to the US Open doubles court with her sister, Venus Williams, on September 4, wearing a custom Nike jacket that referenced her long history at the tournament.
The sisters faced 14th seeds Hao-Ching Chan of Taiwan and Maya Joint of Australia in the first round at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York. Chan and Joint defeated the Williams sisters 6-3, 6-7(6), 7-6(10-7) in a match that lasted more than three hours.
Before the match, Serena wore the custom jacket during warmups. WWD reported that the Nike piece was designed with details highlighting her US Open career, while Reuters described the jacket as a customized bomber decorated with patches marking Serena's US Open singles and doubles triumphs.
View this post on Instagram
The Nike Jacket Referenced Serena's US Open Titles
The jacket included several details connected to Serena's accomplishments at the tournament. According to Footwear News, the arms featured the years in which she won US Open singles or doubles titles, while "Williams" appeared prominently across the back and a large Nike Swoosh was placed on the front.
Serena's US Open record includes six women's singles championships. She won her first singles title at the tournament in 1999 and later captured the championship in 2002, 2008, 2012, 2013 and 2014.
She also won US Open women's doubles titles with Venus in 1999 and 2009. Footwear News reported that Serena's first US Open championship came in mixed doubles in 1998, adding another title to the history referenced by the jacket.
The jacket therefore incorporated both singles and doubles accomplishments rather than focusing solely on Serena's singles career. Reuters likewise reported that the jacket was decorated with patches marking her US Open singles and doubles triumphs.
Serena and Venus Returned to Grand Slam Doubles
The September 4 match marked the sisters' first Grand Slam doubles appearance together in four years. Their previous Grand Slam doubles appearance was at the 2022 US Open.
The sisters entered the 2026 US Open women's doubles draw with a wild card. The tournament announced their entry on August 26 and confirmed that they would open against Chan and Joint.
Serena and Venus have won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles together, including two US Open championships. They have also won three Olympic gold medals as a doubles team.
Their return to the US Open came after the sisters had also reunited for doubles earlier in the 2026 season. Reuters reported that they had lost in three sets to Marta Kostyuk and Peyton Stearns in Cincinnati before their New York appearance.
A Three-Set Match Ends the US Open Run
The Williams sisters initially fell behind after losing the opening set 6-3. They responded in the second set, winning the tiebreak 8-6 to force a deciding set.
Chan and Joint ultimately prevailed in the 10-point match tiebreak. The Williams sisters led 5-0 in the deciding tiebreak before their opponents recovered and closed out the match 10-7.
The loss ended Serena and Venus's women's doubles campaign at the 2026 US Open after one match. Serena's custom Nike jacket, however, placed her US Open singles and doubles achievements directly into the setting where many of those titles were won.
