Venus Williams and Leylah Fernandez thrived in U.S. Open doubles, with Serena ‘coaching from afar’
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Venus Williams had made it to the quarterfinal round of the U.S. Open women’s doubles competition five times. Each time, she was partnered with younger sister Serena Williams.
Venus Williams advanced to the U.S. Open quarterfinals again this year, for the first time since 2014, with new doubles partner Leylah Fernandez.
Following her and Fernandez’s third-round victory over Zhang Shuai and Ekaterina Alexandrova on Monday, Williams called on her retired sibling and former partner to join them at Flushing Meadow.
“She’s so happy for Leylah and I, and she’s given us advice,” Williams said of her sister during an on-court interview. “We just need her in the box. So, my message is: Serena, you need to show up.”
Williams was responding to a question about a recent TikTok post by Serena in which the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion is watching Williams and Fernandez on TV and rolling her eyes. Once she notices she is being filmed, however, Serena forces some humorously fake-looking smiles.
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“When you see your sister @Venus Williams has a new doubles partner @leylahanniefernandez and you are really happy she’s winning with someone else…” the caption reads.
Venus Williams called the post “very funny.”
The Williams sisters have won 14 Grand Slam titles (including the U.S. Open in 1999 and 2009) and three Olympic gold medals as doubles partners. While Serena hasn’t played since the 2022 U.S. Open, Venus returned to the court after a lengthy hiatus for July’s D.C. Open.
At 45, Venus Williams became the second-oldest woman to win a tour-level singles match, behind Martina Navratilova. Afterward, she confirmed her engagement to actor Andrea Preti.
At that tournament, the 45-year-old Williams became the second-oldest woman to win a tour-level singles match with a first-round victory over 23-year-old Peyton Stearns. Williams also won a first-round doubles match with 23-year-old partner Hailey Baptiste.
At the U.S. Open, Williams lost her first-round singles match to 29-year-old Karolina Muchova in three sets. But she and Fernandez, a 22-year-old Canadian who played in the 2021 U.S. Open singles final, have been on a roll. They have yet to drop a set in three rounds of play.
Williams told reporters that Serena has actually been very supportive.
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“She’s definitely coaching from afar, and she’s so excited,” Williams said. “She gets so nervous watching, and she’s got the kids watching. They’re all at home, just really on our side.”
Williams also addressed her earlier request for her sister to “show up” for Tuesday’s quarterfinal match against the top-seeded duo of Taylor Townsend and Katerina Siniakova.
“If she came, it would be a dream for both of us,” Williams said. “We’d have her on the court coaching. And we’d force her to hit, even though she doesn’t hit often.”
She added with a laugh,”So it’s probably best she doesn’t come because we’d just like, probably bully her.”
Serena did not appear to be at Louis Armstrong Stadium on Tuesday when her sister and Fernandez’s U.S. Open run ended with a 6-1, 6-2 loss to Townsend and Siniakova.
