Venus and Serena Williams skip US Open press conference following doubles loss

Venus Williams and Serena Williams skipped their mandatory postmatch press conference at the US Open late Friday night. The sisters departed the grounds approximately twenty minutes before tournament officials announced the absence at 10:45 PM ET. The move followed a competitive first-round doubles loss to Maya Joint and Chan Hao-ching, which featured a three-hour match duration and a squandered 5-0 lead in the deciding tiebreaker. Reactions to the decision are divided among followers of the sport. Some fans defend the sisters by citing the physical and mental toll of the lengthy match, while others criticize the choice as a lack of respect for the tournament and those who utilized wildcards for entry. There has been no indication from the players regarding their decision to bypass media availability.

• 4:41 PMYahoo Sports — Fallout continues after Venus, Serena skip last night’s US Open postmatch press conference