Serena Williams and Venus Williams played their first major doubles match together at the US Open since 2022. Unfortunately, the legendary sisters lost to Chan Hao-ching and Maya Jont in the very first round of the tournament.
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Post-match press is mandatory in tennis, but Serena and Venus skipped it, sparking immediate backlash. The incident left the internet furious.
This includes tennis analyst and Punto de Break’s director, José Morón. “Sometimes, they make it very hard to defend certain things,” Morón wrote in an X post. “The fans of both players will keep not knowing how they feel or what they think. That, to me, is not being an ambassador for this sport.” The journalist further compared the Williams sisters to legendary Roger Federer.
“My utmost respect for someone like Roger Federer, who not only accepts the invitation to a tournament like Wimbledon or the US Open, but goes to all the matches, stays until he’s the last to leave, and then even holds a 45-minute press conference so that the people who missed him can hear from him,” Morón added.
This isn’t the first time the Williams sisters have declined to speak with the media following a loss. Serena Williams lost to Jont in her singles match at Wimbledon in July 2026. After her loss, she ultimately decided not to appear for the post-match press conference with her team, later citing a tweaked knee.
At the same tournament, Venus Williams also declined a press conference after losing her opening mixed doubles match against Lloyd Glasspool and Tereza Mihalikova.
The pattern is unmistakable: two losses, two press-conference absences in as many months. What makes the situation more painful for some is that the former Grand Slam winners had received a wild card entry into the doubles tournament, with Venus also receiving one into the singles category.
Morón’s Federer comparison cuts deeper because of what it represents. Federer is known for appearing at every post-match press conference. In fact, in one 2020 article, the ATP Tour documented the words of veteran tennis journalist Graeme Agars: “It would be impossible to know the last time that he played a match and didn’t attend a press conference.”
Moreover, post-match press conferences are mandatory and can result in a fine of up to $50,000. Skipping media duties is generally acceptable only for injury or other reasonable cause. Serena Williams and Venus Williams have yet to state their reason for leaving the press conference after their match.