Venus and Serena Williams came together again at Flushing Meadows for the first time in four years, only to depart the stage in completely contrasting manners after suffering a tough defeat.
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Serena Williams, who is a 23-time Grand Slam singles champion, stormed off Arthur Ashe Stadium without giving the obligatory post-match interview after her defeat in the doubles match, leaving her sister, Venus Williams, alone on the court on Friday.
Caitlin Thompson, a tennis reporter for Bounces, reported that Serena waved to the crowd as she left the court and immediately got into a car to depart the venue. This left Venus alone in the locker room without her doubles partner.
It is important to note that press requests for doubles games usually have to be answered with both participants. Hence, Venus could not do the job alone after Serena was gone.
Her absence prompted an instant backlash from the seasoned tennis reporters covering the tournament. Veteran Patrick McEnroe aired out his displeasure right away through social media.
“Incredible vibe last match at the US Open calling the Williams sisters’ doubles match. Only they could fill the stadium for a doubles match. Show up for the post match press conference,” McEnroe posted.
The two sisters had not played in the doubles category of the US Open since 2022, and their comeback meant they were given a slot in the evening session at Ashe Court, which is rarely granted to first-round doubles pairs.
On the other hand, journalist Jon Wertheim chose an entirely different perspective on the matter.
“If any players were within their rights to blow off their US Open media obligations, it would be Taylor Fritz and Madison Keys. Neither did. Both were accountable and professional,” Wertheim wrote.
The disparity takes on significance considering the two had to suffer hard losses despite enjoying an early lead. It is notable that Fritz and Keys did not shun their obligation to the media, just as the Williams sisters did.
However, the Williams sisters will not be financially penalized for failing to fulfill their responsibilities. This fact was reported by tennis writer James Gray, who noted that the USTA had received no injury-related statement from the sisters.
“Serena and Venus Williams will not be fined for missing press on Friday night, and the USTA were not notified of any injury reason for skipping their obligations,” Gray reported.
According to Grand Slam guidelines, a fine of up to $50,000 is levied per player who dodges their compulsory media responsibilities without any justification. This means that the Williams sisters dodged a total fine of up to $100,000.
The Williams sisters have shunned media commitments on many occasions during their careers, such as when Venus was fined $5,000 after an early exit during the 2016 Australian Open.
Their match ended in disappointment as the sisters squandered a 5-0 advantage in the deciding tiebreak, losing in straight sets 6-3, 6-7(6), 7-6(10-7) to Chan Hao-Ching and Maya Joint.
This defeat came after an already tough year for the two in Grand Slam doubles, as they had lost before in a match tiebreak this year at the Cincinnati Open, their first tournament together since Serena’s 2022 retirement from singles tennis.