Serena Williams opens up about the trauma of her injury after a thrilling comeback match alongside Venus in Cincinnati

The tennis legend reflects on a painful setback as she finally teams up with sister Venus again after four years apart

Serena Williams has revealed the emotional toll of the knee injury that prevented her from reuniting with sister Venus at Wimbledon, calling it a “little traumatic experience” after the pair finally returned to the doubles court together in Cincinnati.

The Williams sisters were reunited at the Cincinnati Open on Monday, marking their first doubles appearance together since the 2022 US Open. Their long-awaited comeback ended in defeat, but the result mattered far less to Serena than the opportunity to share a court with her sister again

The 44-year-old had initially planned to partner Venus at Wimbledon after returning to competitive tennis. However, Serena injured her knee during her singles comeback against Australia’s Maya Joint and was forced to withdraw from the doubles event.

She later revealed that fluid had been removed from the injured knee and that her recovery had been considerably more difficult than she’d expected.

“It took me two hours to leave the locker room that night,” Serena said, reflecting on the injury. She added that the recovery had been a long process, admitting she never imagined she’d find herself back in tennis and discussing the experience after her previous career farewell.

Her return in Cincinnati eventually came alongside Venus, 46, with the sisters receiving a wildcard into the doubles draw. It was a highly anticipated reunion between one of tennis’ most successful partnerships.

Williams sisters produce thrilling fightback in Cincinnati
Serena and Venus faced Marta Kostyuk and Peyton Stearns in their opening match, and the American pair initially struggled to find their rhythm. They dropped the first set 6-2 before responding emphatically in the second.

The sisters raced through the next set 6-1, showing flashes of the chemistry that helped them win 14 Grand Slam doubles titles and three Olympic gold medals.

Their opponents, however, regained control in the deciding 10-point tiebreak and opened a 6-0 advantage.