NEW YORK -- Serena and Venus Williams lost in the first round of doubles at the U.S. Open to the Czech pair of Lucie Hradecka and Linda Noskova 7-6 (5), 6-4 in Arthur Ashe Stadium on Thursday night.
Ashe had never hosted a first-round doubles match — for women or men, during the night or day — until this one featuring two American sisters who have combined to claim 14 Grand Slam titles in doubles but were partnering for the first time since the 2018 French Open.
This was their fourth first-round doubles defeat at a Slam; the most recent had been at the 2013 French Open.
As usual when playing together, they traded fist bumps or palm slaps and chatted between points; they smiled while conversing in their seats at changeovers. When the match ended, the sisters hugged each other. They left the court to a standing ovation.
"I'm still in shock that we won," Hradecka said in an on-court interview right after the match's conclusion.
Speaking to the crowd, she said: "I'm so sorry for you that we beat them, but we are so happy that we did it."
An announced sellout of 23,859 showed up, just like for each of Serena's two victories in singles so far this week, although the fans were not quite as boisterous Thursday as they had been for those other night matches involving a player who has hinted that this will be the final event of her career. Serena plays Ajla Tomljanovic on Friday night in the third round of singles; Venus lost in the first round of that bracket.
The doubles spectators saved their biggest cheers for some of Serena's best efforts, whether aces or putaways or an on-the-run forehand winner. The sisters went up 5-4 early and held two set points there on Noskova's serve, but could not convert either.
The loudest moment probably arrived after a 19-stroke point won by the sisters during the first-set tiebreaker, featuring three swinging volleys by Serena. That put them ahead 4-3, and soon it was 5-3.
But Hradecka and Noskova grabbed the next four points to claim that set. They then jumped ahead 3-0 in the second, and after the Williams sisters made it 4-all, the Czech team pulled away.
The Williams siblings received a wild-card entry into this year's doubles field. Serena, who turns 41 next month, and Venus, who turned 42 in June, won doubles trophies at the U.S. Open in 1999 -- the year Serena won her first major singles trophy at age 17 in New York -- and 2009.
They have a total of 30 major trophies in singles: 23 for Serena, seven for Venus.
Hradecka is a 37-year-old who won two major doubles trophies with Andrea Hlavackova, at the 2013 U.S. Open and 2011 French Open. Noskova, 17, was making her Grand Slam doubles debut.
"Playing against the Williams sisters," Noskova said, "is a special moment for everybody."
Fans thrilled to see Williams sisters together despite loss
It was a disappointing loss for the Williams sisters as they shared the court at the US Open, but fans were still thrilled to see Venus and Serena together for what may be the last time.
As CBS2's Ali Bauman reports, at points, it felt like everyone in that stadium was holding their breath at the same time. Even though it didn't go the way fans were hoping, being able to watch the Williams sisters together was a win in itself.
For Zoe Urdang, even though the match ended in a loss for the Williams sisters, it was a night she'll never forget.
"It was just a beautiful match to be able to watch," she said. "Being able to watch them grow into the strong Black women that they are is just something I'm happy to see, so it was a bittersweet moment throughout the entire game. I was, like, trying not to cry."
Thousands of fans crowded inside and out of Arthur Ashe Stadium to see Serena Williams in what could be her final tournament, playing Thursday night alongside sister Venus.
"I wouldn't have missed this for the world," Manhattan resident Rumana Huq said.
It was hard not to get nostalgic.
Even Serena's husband tweeted a throwback photo of the sisters together at 9 and 10 years old.
"We haven't seen Serena and Venus play doubles together in a long time, so I think everybody is here rooting for the Williams sisters," said Kelley McBride, of California.
Watching the women on the court were mothers and grandmothers, passing their love of the sport on to the next generation.
Laura Cauthen and her daughter came all the way from Texas.
"We came last year, so this is starting to be a tradition," Cauthen said.
There was a little extra love Thursday night for Open Pride Day, celebrating queer voices on and off the court.
"We're here because these are athletes and they're doing their best, and we're here about promoting everybody's personal best and diversity," said Felipe Hernandez with Gotham Cheer.
Bauman says there weren't many sad faces walking out of the stadium; it seemed everyone was just basking in the glow of seeing the greatest of all time.
Serena, Venus out in 1st round of doubles
Serena and Venus Williams were eliminated by the Czech pair of Lucie Hradecka and Linda Noskova 7-6 (5), 6-4 in the first round of women's doubles.
Arthur Ashe Stadium had never hosted a first-round doubles match until this one featuring two American sisters who have combined to claim 14 Grand Slam titles in doubles but were partnering for the first time since the 2018 French Open.
This was their fourth first-round doubles defeat at a Slam; the most recent had been at the 2013 French Open.
The 17-year-old Noskova was making her Grand Slam doubles debut. The 37-year-old Hradecka won two major doubles trophies with a different partner.
Serena, Venus drop 1st set in doubles
Serena and Venus Williams will have to come from behind to say in the women's doubles tournament.
The sisters lost the first set in a tiebreaker, with Lucia Hradecka and Linda Noskova taking it 7-5.
The Williams sisters have won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles and decided to play together again after Serena said she was preparing to end her tennis career.
Crowd brings double the energy for Williams sisters' doubles
As CBS2's Ali Bauman reports, Thursday night's crowd seemed to be riding the high of Serena's second-round win, and they brought double the energy for the Williams sisters' doubles.
Thousands of people filed in to Arthur Ashe Stadium once again to see the greatest-of-all-time Serena Williams in what could be her final tournament, playing alongside her sister, Venus.
This is the first time in US Open history that a first-round women's doubles match is playing on Arthur Ashe Stadium during primetime.
"We're excited because we haven't seen Serena and Venus play doubles together in a long time, so I think everybody is here rooting for the Williams sisters. They're exciting to watch, and this is like the swan song, so we hope they keep going. Every match we can get, it's great," said Kelley McBride, of California.
Thursday was also Pride Day at the Open, which is a celebration of queer voices both on and off the court.
Serena, Venus back in action in doubles
Serena and Venus Williams are back on the doubles court together for their first match in four years.
The 14-time Grand Slam doubles champions are facing the Czech team of Lucie Hradecka and Linda Noskova.
With Serena Williams preparing to end her tennis career, the sisters decided to play again in this tournament they have won twice. Venus served first to open their match.
Serena Williams riding high after second-round win
Serena Williams is still riding high after advancing to the third round of the US Open on Wednesday as she gets ready to play doubles with her sister, Venus.
It has been the biggest storyline of the US Open since she announced three weeks ago this may be her last time in Flushing -- get Serena Williams as deep into the tournament as possible, hopefully all the way to the Final.
The six-time US Open champion has done her part so far, even treating fans to some doubles action Thursday night with her big sister.
Round 2 took a little more work than round 1 -- one more set, to be exact, and Williams had to take out the No. 2 ranked player in the world. Not bad for a 40-year-old playing in her 21st US Open.
"I'm just Serena, you know," Williams said.
There were some moments of doubt when Anett Kontaveit managed to make the greatest-of-all-time worry after losing the second set, but a quick break and a personal pep talk got Williams ready for the third set.
"I was just like, 'Serena, you've already won. Like, just play, like, be Serena. You're better than this.' And that's what I was able to do," Williams said.
With fellow icon Tiger Woods in her player box, Williams upped her record to 42-0 in the first two rounds at the US Open and set up a third-round match with unseeded Ajla Tomljanovic.
But first, there will be a real treat Thursday night. For the first time ever, a first-round women's doubles match will be played on Arthur Ashe Stadium in primetime. Serena will team up with her sister, Venus, as they begin their quest to win a 15th Grand Slam doubles title.
"I'm super excited to play with her and just do that again. It's been a long time," Serena Williams said.
"More than anything, I just want to hold my side of the court up and, you know, be a good sister," Venus William said.
But it's not lost on the two of them the influence they've had on an entire generation of young tennis players.
"To see these young women living their dream, doing positive things in their lives and in turn influencing other young women, other people, not just young women," Venus Williams said.
"I feel grateful that I can have that impact. I never thought I would have that impact, ever. I was just a girl trying to play tennis," Serena Williams said.
Call it the "Serena Factor" -- a record number of fans have been on the grounds for her first two matches, and an average of 2.7 million viewers were watching her Monday match at home. That's four times as many as last year's first round.