Serena Williams reportedly left the stadium shortly after losing the US Open doubles match alongside her sister Venus Williams. The six-time US Open singles champion left the venue as the sisters skipped their scheduled press conference following the defeat.
Serena and Venus Williams skipped press after their US Open doubles defeat
Serena Williams and Venus Williams lost to Hao-Ching Chan and Maya Joint on Friday. Following the defeat, the pair did not attend the scheduled press conference. Serena reportedly left Arthur Ashe Stadium shortly after the match ended, while Venus went to the locker room. According to reporter Ben Rothenberg, Serena then left the area in a car.
Players are required to attend a press conference if the media requests it, according to the Grand Slam rulebook. Skipping a requested press conference without an applicable excuse can constitute a code violation and may result in a fine.
According to Bounces, reporter Ben Rothenberg said, “Serena fled the scene as fast as she could,” adding, “Serena left behind Venus, who had stayed and gone to the locker room like players normally do after a match.”
According to PEOPLE, one member of a doubles team can speak to the media, but Venus did not attend the press conference without Serena.
Rothenberg said that shortly after the match, the USTA informed credentialed media that the sisters “will not be available for press tonight.”
Later, Rothenberg asked the USTA whether the sisters would be fined under the Grand Slam rulebook. The organization told him that Serena and Venus would not be fined for Friday’s absence from the press conference.
This is not the first time the sisters have skipped a press conference. Previously, Venus was reportedly fined $5,000 for missing a press conference at the 2016 Australian Open.
Serena and Venus played their doubles match at the 2026 US Open on September 4, 2026, at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York. They lost 6-3, 6-7 (6), 7-6 (10-7) in a match that lasted more than three hours.
