Venus and Serena Williams owe no one an explanation at US Open | Opinion

NEW YORK — Chances are that if you are not on a computer, whatever method or device you are reading this on had not been invented yet in the years that Venus and Serena Williams made their US Open main draw debuts.

Those years, 1997 for Venus and the following year for Serena, signified a changing of the guard in how tennis looks and is played, leading to more braids and beads, fewer serves and volleys, and the thundering echoes of "Come on!" whether it was an unforced error or a powerful winner leaving the opponents shaking their heads in bewilderment.

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The strength, the muscles, the flair, the skills, and, most importantly, the championships that have followed both sisters from the streets of Compton, California, put them on a historic rise that they have yet to come down from three decades later.

Older, wiser, and no doubt with diminished skills, the sisters will make their tournament return to play in doubles for the first time in Flushing Meadows since 2022.

That entry came via a wild card courtesy of the United States Tennis Association, and also came with the virtual side-eye from those, mostly keyboard warriors, who don't matter in any way, shape, or form, opining about when or if an athlete should retire.

The quick answer to when some athletes should retire, especially in this reference to the Williams sisters, is whenever they damn well please.

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The same can be said about Novak Djokovic, who doesn't turn 40 until next May. Let the 24-time Grand Slam winner continue to backhand, limp around, and throw up on the sidelines until he is ready to put down his racket for good.

But if you don't like that a 46-year-old and her 44-year-old sister are playing tennis on the biggest stage, there is an off button you can use on that aforementioned device. The critics would say they are too old and that no one wants to see them keep losing, most likely referring to Venus' singles record this year, where she hasn't won once and is currently on a 15-match losing streak.

And there is also the issue of the wild card entry, which can be used at the discretion of the tournament officials. Why didn't those same officials give that entry to another team?

The quick answer is that they don't want to or have to, and will continue to, like any other WTA tournament officials who have brains that are functioning, give out wild cards to the 14 Grand Slam doubles champions (including two at the US Open) as long as they are healthy and willing to play.

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And the complaints from fans, journalists, and anyone else who has a problem with the Williams sisters' place in the field aren't enough to slow this gravy train and will continue to fall on deaf ears, because the USTA is a non-profit that continues to make millions of dollars, and not one high-profile athlete currently on tour has publicly complained about their entry in the tournament.

This is a simple case of selective complaining about an issue that isn't hurting anyone, and just because you have a Constitutional right, along with a mouth and hands, to spew and type utter nonsense, doesn't mean you can't be called out for stupidity.

When the sisters take center stage on Arthur Ashe Stadium in their first-round match against Hao-Ching Chan and Maya Joint, who beat Serena in singles at Wimbledon in June, guess who else won't be complaining?

Chan and Joint.

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If not for the Williams sisters' entry, the No. 14 seed probably wouldn't have snuffed Arthur Ashe Stadium, unless they make it all the way to the doubles final on Sept. 11. You can't buy that kind of exposure.

The truth is, the USTA and ESPN, who will televise this match in primetime, aren't stupid, at least on this issue. They could have put any other player or team in that coveted 7 p.m. ET spot, or relegated the Williams sisters to a court on the outskirts of the Billie Jean King Tennis Center. But the more eyes on greatness equals more money and more chances to brag about ratings.

Tennis, like every other sport, is in the entertainment business, which means no one is forcing anyone to watch, and Venus and Serena certainly don't need the $35,000 they will split just for showing up.

To their credit, the sisters probably don't care what people think. The nearly 24,000 fans who will show up to Arthur Ashe Stadium won't care either. They want to be entertained, be told by the chair umpire to shut up between points, drink their Honey Deuces, and then watch another rising star, Ben Shelton, take the Ashe stage against Denis Shapovalov in a third-round clash.

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For those who dislike it, too bad, because this isn't the end of the GOAT and her big sister on your screen.

"We've waited a long time to get back on the doubles court. Eventually, we find our way to each other," Venus said. "We give each other so much grace and encouragement. This is our first time playing together in forever, and I think we're really getting into our stride."

Serena has been ramping up her activity for more singles competition.

"I probably will play again. I have to. After some of those returns, I think I need to play at least once," Williams said this week on "Good Morning America." "It's just also really wanting my children to see me play at a different age."

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That alone is reason enough to watch. Game, set, match for the Williams sisters, no matter who wins on Friday.

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