American legend Venus Williams and Ekaterina Alexandrova bowed out of the women’s doubles in the first round at the 2026 Australian Open after the American-Russian duo lost 6-3 (3), 6-4 to France’s Elsa Jacquemot and Colombia’s Emiliana Arango on Tuesday.
The loss ended Venus' campaign at Melbourne Park after the two-time Australian Open finalist succumbed to a heartbreaking first-round defeat to Olga Danilovic in the women's singles. This was her first appearance at Melbourne Park since 2021 and the first time she had competed outside the United States since 2023.
Seven-time Grand Slam winner Williams, who was awarded a wildcard entry to the tournament, became the oldest woman to compete in an Australian Open main draw, surpassing the record previously held by Japan’s Kimiko Date, who was 44 when she lost in the first round of the 2015 Australian Open.
