Serena Williams and Venus Williams recently received a wildcard for the women’s doubles event at the US Open. The news was met with massive backlash from fans, who accused the duo of taking the spot from up and coming players.
The Williams sisters were seen in action together earlier this month after being given a wildcard at the Cincinnati Open. Competing at the Lindner Family Tennis Center, the pair went up against compatriot Peyton Stearns and Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk for their opening round match. While the veteran stars put up an impressive show, they were eventually ousted 2-6, 6-1, 8-10 by their younger counterparts.
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More recently, Serena Williams and Venus Williams were gifted a wildcard for the women’s doubles event at the 2026 US Open.
Reacting to the news, one fan on Instagram wrote,
“We need to stop now.”
Another accused the sisters of taking opportunities from up and coming players, writing,
“Why don’t they give these opportunities to up and coming players that have worked for it.”
Here is how other tennis enthusiasts reacted to the Williams sisters receiving a wildcard for the US Open:
“At this point we may let them rest ok. How about 1 wildcard per year, coz wow, this is now too much,” one fan wrote.
“Anything to keep them in the spotlight,” another added.
“Bruh stop giving out these wildcards, others are fighting for them,” one Instagram user commented.
“Let’s wheel them out again and take opportunities from others. #privilige,” yet another fan chimed in.
Serena Williams registers US Open mixed doubles quarterfinals finish alongside Carlos Alcaraz
Earlier this week, Serena Williams returned to action at the historic Arthur Ashe Stadium for the first time in four years for the mixed doubles event at the US Open. The American partnered with men’s singles star Carlos Alcaraz, and their pairing sparked plenty of excitement amongst fans.
Williams and Alcaraz began their campaign in New York against top-ranked doubles specialists Erin Routliffe and Lloyd Glasspool. The duo had a shaky start to their match, but they were eventually able to pull through 5-3, 4-1 in a match where the 44-year-old’s performance stole the show.
Later that same day, Serena Williams and Carlos Alcaraz returned to action for their quarterfinals encounter against French Open runner-up Flavio Cobolli and women’s singles World No.12 Belinda Bencic. The duo were subsequently ousted from the tournament after a 4(4)-5, 1-4 loss to Cobolli and Bencic.
Venus Williams and Father Richard recall one match that 7-time Grand Slam champion “should have won”
Edited by Riddhi Acharya