Why Serena and Venus Williams are reuniting to play Wimbledon doubles in their 40s

The 2026 Wimbledon Championships will feature an unexpected storyline, as Serena and Venus Williams are teaming up to play together at the doubles tournament.

The sisters haven't played together at a major since winning the Wimbledon doubles title in 2016, and Serena even stepped away from tennis in 2022. However, Serena returned to action in June of this year, and now she will team up with her sister for her first appearance at a Grand Slam tournament since the 2022 U.S. Open.

Serena initially retired from professional tennis in 2022, but that didn't last, as she played in her first professional doubles tournament since her retirement at the Queen's Club. While she hasn't played singles yet, this tournament with Venus will be her highest-profile tournament since returning.

Here's why Serena and Venus are playing together at Wimbledon.

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Why Serena and Venus Williams are reuniting to play Wimbledon doubles

Serena and Venus Williams are reuniting on the court later this month to play as a doubles team at the Wimbledon tournament. The pair was once a dominant doubles team during the prime of their careers, and are tied for the most doubles titles at Wimbledon in the tournament's history.

Serena Williams came out of retirement earlier this month to play in doubles tournaments only, first playing at the Queen's Club then again at the Berlin Open. Venus, meanwhile, hasn't retired and played in each of the last two Grand Slam singles tournaments, but she hasn't made it out of the first round of a Grand Slam singles tournament since 2021.

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How old is Serena Williams?

Serena Williams is 44 years old but stopped competing professionally in 2022 just before she turned 41 years old. Williams has 23 Grand Slam singles titles, but did not win a Grand Slam tournament in her last 15 appearances, dating back to the 2018 French Open, as she was 36 years old when she won her 23rd Grand Slam tournament.

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How old is Venus Williams?

Venus Williams is 45 years old and is one of the oldest active players in professional tennis. Still, she hasn't retired and has continued to compete in singles tournaments, including recently at the 2025 U.S. Open and at the 2026 French Open.

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Serena and Venus Williams history playing together

The Williams sisters were a dominant doubles pairing when they did play together, as they have won 14 Grand Slam doubles tournaments together without suffering a single loss. Of those titles, six came while playing together at Wimbledon, the duo's most in any of the four Grand Slam tournaments.

Additionally, the Williams sisters have three Olympic gold medals while playing together. As a result, they were the first doubles pair to win the golden slam in tennis. Overall, they have won 21 of 22 tournaments as doubles partners dating back to 1998, with the lone loss coming at the 1999 TIG Classic in San Diego.

The Williams sisters haven't played together in a Grand Slam tournament since 2016, when they won their 14th title at Wimbledon.

Who is better, Serena or Venus Williams?

While both Williams sisters are considered legends in tennis, Serena has produced a more fruitful career than Venus. Serena has 23 total Grand Slam singles titles, just one shy of the all-time record, while Venus has seven and hasn't secured the career Grand Slam.

Venus does not have an edge over her sister in any of the Grand Slam tournaments, as even her five Wimbledon titles pale to Serena's seven.