Serena Williams, Venus Williams walk off court in likely last doubles match together

By Haley Yamada

Venus Williams and Serena Williams, a pair who first walked onto the national stage of professional tennis in the 1990s, have most likely walked off the court together for the last time.

The legendary sister act likely came to a close on Thursday night after the pair lost 7-6(5), 6-4, to the Czech team of Linda Noskova and Lucie Hradecka.

The first-round game marked, most likely, the final time Serena Williams and her older sister Venus Williams would play in a Grand Slam doubles tournament together. Serena Williams had announced that she was "evolving away" from tennis in a personal essay in Vogue in August.

Venus Williams had told reporters earlier in the week that the idea to play together was her sister's.

"She's the boss so I do whatever she tells me to do," she had said while smiling.

The two sisters have dominated the tennis world for nearly three decades, ending their go as a pair on the same court they had won their first U.S. Open Doubles title in 1999. The duo would go on to win 22 titles, 14 Grand Slams and three Olympic gold medals while playing together.

Here's a look back at the sisters in action:

1999 Venus and Serena William win the U.S. Open

Bongarts/Getty Images, FILE

Venus Williams and Serena Williams win the Women's Doubles competition at the U.S. Open in New York, Sept. 12, 1999.

Rick Maiman/Sygma via Getty Images, FILE

Venus and Serena Williams compete in a doubles match with Japanese players Miho Saehi and Yuka Yoshida in New York, Sept. 02, 1999.

2009 Venus and Serena Williams win the U.S. Open

NY Daily News via Getty Images, FILE

Serena Williams and Venus Williams defeat Cara Black and Liezel Huber winning the US Open 2009 Womens Doubles Finals in New York, Sept. 14, 2009.

2022 Venus and Serena Williams play in the U.S. Open

Hiroko Masuike/The New York Times via Redux

Venus and Serena Williams play the first round of Women's Doubles against Lucie Hradecka and Linda Noskova on the fourth day of the US Open in Queens, New York, Sept. 1, 2022.

Hiroko Masuike/The New York Times via Redux

Serena and Venus Williams leave the court after playing in the first round of Women's Doubles on the fourth day of the US Open in Queens, New York. Sept. 1, 2022.