Serena Williams and Venus Williams have been awarded a doubles wild card for the 2026 Cincinnati Open, which runs from August 11 to 23 in Ohio [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. This marks the first time the sisters will compete together in doubles since the 2022 US Open, where they lost in the first round to Lucie Hradecka and Linda Noskova [1, 3, 4, 5].
In addition to the doubles wild card, Venus Williams has also received a singles wild card to the Cincinnati Open [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. Venus, who is around 46 years old, has a 12-10 record in Cincinnati singles matches, reaching the semifinals in 2012 and the quarterfinals in 2019 [5]. She holds 49 career singles titles, including seven Grand Slam championships and one Olympic gold medal[i], while Serena is 44 years old [1, 2, 3, 4].
The Williams sisters have won 14 major doubles titles and three Olympic gold medals competing as a team [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. However, their 2026 season has seen challenges. They had to withdraw from the Wimbledon doubles draw in July due to Serena’s knee injury, which also ended Serena’s singles comeback there with a first-round loss to Maya Joint [1, 2, 3, 4].
Their return to competitive doubles will be closely watched as the Cincinnati Open may pave the way for Serena to attempt a singles comeback at the US Open starting August 31 in New York [2, 4, 5]. Both sisters are expected to compete in Cincinnati, with Venus playing singles and both in doubles [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
The Cincinnati Open wild cards mark a significant step in the Williams sisters’ ongoing pursuit of high-level competition in their late 40s and mid-40s. The tournament offers them a chance to reignite their partnership on court after several years apart and recent injury setbacks.
The Cincinnati Open begins on August 11, with matches scheduled through August 23. The US Open will begin shortly after, on August 31, providing Serena Williams a potential next stage for her singles return.
