Venus Williams makes winning return at Wimbledon with Jamie Murray in star-studded doubles

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Venus Williams and Jamie Murray started their debut as a team with a 6-3 6-7(3) 6-3 victory over Michael Venus and Alicja Rosolska in two hours and 18 minutes. The surprise superstar duo had received a wildcard into the mixed doubles draw after the elder Williams sister had previously claimed she would not be playing at Wimbledon this year before following in sister Serena’s footsteps by teaming up wih a Murray brother at SW19. And she was victorious in her first match in 311 days alongside home favourite Jamie Murray.

Williams and Murray had not been assigned a court in Friday’s order of play, with many assuming the star-studded pairing would be given the first available show court of the day. And it was the fans on Court 1 who got lucky following Carlos Alcaraz’s straight sets win, as they let out a huge cheer when it was announced the pair would shortly be stepping onto court for their match.

The British-American duo received a standing ovation as they walked onto court for what was the elder Williams sister’s first match since August 24 last year. Both teams held for 1-1 before it was the 42-year-old’s turn to serve, and she received a rousing applause as she stepped up to the baseline. Finding themselves facing two break points, Murray and Williams held on before managing to carve out a break for themselves to lead 3-1 in the opening set. It was the two-time Wimbledon mixed doubles champion’s turn to save a break point before consolidating their previous break to lead 4-1.

The former WTA singles and doubles world No 1 then saved two break points on her serve again to give her team a 5-2 lead, and the multi-Grand Slam-winning duo held to the first set 6-3. It was a love hold for Venus and Rosolska but Murray and Williams broke them in their next service game to lead by a set-and-a-break but they were unable to fend off another break point to consolidate their lead this time as the Kiwi-Polish duo broke back to level things at 2-2 and held for their second game in a row.

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With Rosolska serving at 30-0 up at 5-5, she and Venus suddenly found themselves facing a break point after three in a row for Murray and Williams but the Pole saved it with an ace and held for 6-5. Murray and Williams held to force a tiebreak after some strong serving from the seven-time singles Grand Slam champion. The American-British team were the first to get a mini-break with a return winner from Murray to lead 3-2 as his mother Judy cheered him on from the stands but he sent a ball long on the next point to gift it straight back. 

The crowd broke out in chants of “let’s go Murray” and “let’s go Venus” as the teams changed ends but it didn’t work as Rosolska earned a mini-break with a winner. She then set up two set points with another winner at the net and the team stole the second set 7-3 in the tiebreak before play was paused for the roof to close so they could continue under the lights.

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At the resumption of play, it was Murray and Williams who were quicker off the mark as they set up triple break point with their opponents serving at 1-2 and took the second for a break lead in the deciding set. They continued their momentum with another break point as the Kiwi served at 1-4 down but he saved it with a strong serve to force an error from the elder Williams sister and held for 2-4.

The five-time Wimbledon singles champion wins four points in a row from 0-30 to hold for 5-2 and put the star-studded team a game from winning the match. Serving for the match at 5-3, Murray started with an ace and ended up closing out a 6-3 6-7(3) 6-3 win to book their spot in the second round, where they will next face the all-British wildcard team of Johnny O’Mara and Alicia Barnett.

It wasn’t the first time a Murray brother and Williams sister had teamed up in the mixed event at Wimbledon, as Andy Murray and Serena Williams were the most anticipated team in years when they took a wildcard at SW19 back in 2019. The pair got to the third round where they lost to Nicole Melichar and Jamie Murray’s men’s doubles partner Bruno Soares 6-3 4-6 6-2. And in the spirit of sibling rivalry, Venus and Jamie will be hoping to outdo their younger siblings and go further this fortnight.

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