As Serena Williams continues to recover from the injury she sustained at the Wimbledon Championships, her sister Venus Williams has returned to competitive action in the US, starting with the Mubadala DC Open (July 27-August 2).
After a missed chance to play alongside her sibling at SW19, Venus resumes her journey in women’s doubles with Diana Shnaider in the American capital. Ahead of her stint, the veteran opened up about the way Serena’s comeback unfolded.
Venus Williams Believes Serena Williams’ Level Was ‘Extraordinarily High’ at Wimbledon
Serena returned to competition during the grass-court swing after a gap of nearly four years. She contested doubles at a couple of warm-up tournaments as fans awaited the ultimate climax at Wimbledon, with the Williams sisters receiving a wildcard entry.
Serena, however, also accepted a last-minute wildcard in singles, which ultimately resulted in a premature end to her SW19 run. The seven-time singles champion was drawn against 20-year-old Maya Joint, and both players pushed each other to their limits, with the younger opponent eventually prevailing in a tight three-setter.
Days later, Serena was forced to withdraw from her doubles match alongside Venus after sustaining a knee injury during her singles match. When asked about her sister’s comeback and her display at the Grand Slam, Venus Williams said during a press conference at the Mubadala DC Open, “She played stellar in that match. I think her level was so extraordinarily high.”
Joint, who was on a 10-match losing streak at the Tour level, lost her next match to Alexandra Eala. Venus described the sequence of events as “unlucky,” according to tennis reporter Christian Basnight. “It was very unlucky. Sometimes you play players who are on fire, and they don’t seem to maintain that level afterwards.”
Speculation is rife that Serena Williams could accept a last-minute wildcard entry into the upcoming National Bank Open in Toronto (August 3-13). Her sister has already received a singles wildcard but has maintained discretion regarding the 23-time Grand Slam champion’s return. “You’ll have to ask her what’s next, but she looks great.”
The Williams sisters are rumored to be renewing their partnership at the US Open, with reports of potential mixed doubles appearances alongside top ATP stars Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz also gaining traction.
Meanwhile, Venus Williams begins her Mubadala DC Open campaign against Anastasia Potapova in singles. In doubles, she is partnering with Shnaider after a failed collaboration with Eala. They have Quinn Gleason and Ulrikke Eikeri as their first opponents.
