Venus and Serena Williams left the tennis court as a team for the last time, as Serena is unlikely to return to professional play after the U.S. Open. Audiences were disappointed to see the Williams sisters lose in the first round and exit the championship Thursday night. While their time as a doubles team has ended, Serena continues to the third round of the championship. Athletes and public figures have shown their respect to the Williams duo, including a video tribute celebrating the contributions the sisters have made to the game, those who play it and those who will follow.
Thursday night marked the likely end of the Williams sisters tennis duo, as Venus and Serena Williams exited in the first round of the U.S. Open women’s doubles. Lucie Hradecka and Linda Noskova, of the Czech Republic, proved victorious over the sisters, ending the match at 7-6 (5), 6-4.
After telling Vogue in early August that she was “evolving away from tennis,” the U.S. Open was expected to be the final tournament of Serena Williams’ career. It would also be the last time Serena and Venus walked out onto the tennis court together, bringing a climactic air to the first round of the women’s doubles.
