Serena Williams found herself in the middle of a controversy soon after her most recent US Open match. The Williams sisters lost their opening-round doubles match against Maya Joint and Chan Hao-ching and later decided to skip media duties.

This instantly drew backlash from the internet. As the controversy spread like wildfire, one of the tennis star’s old conversations came to light. After winning the 2010 Wimbledon trophy, Williams was asked whether she’d still be playing at the age of 38.

“38?” Williams had asked. “If I am, I want you to personally take me off and escort me off the court. There’s no way I need to be out here at 38.”

She later asked Tennis.com’s Peter Bodo to be there to take her off the court ten years after the conversation. Overall, at the time, the player even joked about not playing tennis for too long.

Now, Serena Williams is 44 years old. The sisters received a Wildcard entry into the US Open. Their fanbase was thrilled to see them play together again. However, following their early exit, controversy surfaced before celebration ever had a chance.

After the match, Serena Williams reportedly “fled the scene as fast as she could” in a private vehicle, according to Bounces’ journalist Ben Rothenberg.

Rothenberg also reported that Venus Williams was still at the venue and may have considered speaking with the media. However, her sister’s absence meant she would have to do it alone.

While a single member of a doubles pair can appear for the press conference, Venus Williams ultimately decided not to. This could lead to heavy fines, but did the US Open actually penalize the sisters? The answer is no.

All Grand Slam players are expected to appear for a post-match press conference. This is standard procedure and, according to the US Open guidelines, skipping media duties can lead to a fine.

This did not seemingly compell the Williams sisters to have a conversation with the media. Journalist Ben Rothenberg called this “entirely unsurprising,” given the players’ history.

Earlier, in 2026, Serena Williams lost in the first round at Wimbledon against Maya Joint in the singles category. She later skipped her media duties, and according to Wimbledon rules, this could have resulted in a fine of upto $50,000.

However, Williams’ team later reported that the player had a tweaked knee. The tennis legend ultimately avoided getting fined. At the same Grand Slam, Venus Williams also avoided media duties after losing her mixed doubles matchup.

She was also not fined.

A similar situation emerged at the 2026 US Open as well. Ben Rothenberg reported that Bounces had reached out to the US Open inquiring about a fine. However, the authorities told them that the Williams sisters were not fined for abandoning their media duties at the tournament.

Such exceptions are made, generally, when a player is genuinely injured or has gotten ill. However, the Williams sisters have so far not reported an injury or illness, which leads some to believe that this was a textbook violation of the US Open’s guidelines.

Ultimately, it is the Grand Slam authorities that decide whether a player gets fined or not. In this case, the Williams sisters are safe from a fine after playing together at a Grand Slam for the first time in several years.

Serena Williams has yet to issue a statement regarding her early exit, as reported by Rothenberg.