Venus Williams insists she is not a good doubles player. She and Serena have a different story.
Williams had no sister by her side and she still got it Thursday. Williams won the women’s doubles at the U.S. Open for the first time in more than a decade, teaming up with Leylah Fernandez to beat the sixth seeds Lyudmyla Kichenok and Ellen Perez and Ellen Perez 7-6 (4), 6-3, 6-3.
After the end, the 45-year-old Williams made her signature spin swing and called Fernandez “my best companion ever – outside of Serena.” The 22-year-old Canadian even reminded Serena.
“In terms of determination, our energy really matches each other, not gives up, and is actually still just focusing and dialing in everything,” Williams said. “It makes me feel great because I’ve never really played with someone other than Serena with my partner, and he has that mentality, so it’s really fun.”
Williams and Fernandez, the 2021 singles runner-up at Flushing Meadows, are avid fan favorites at a near-full Louis Armstrong stadium, and chair referees have to ask the crowd to be quiet multiple times.
The audience, after trailing 5-2 in that game, applauded Williams and Fernandez after they won the opening tiebreak, cheered on again after finishing within 90 minutes.
“Leira is a good player, [and] Venus is also a good doubles player,” Kissinoke said. They played several times. They know what it is. Maybe it took some time to adjust at first, but then they found the rhythm.”
Throughout the game, there was “We’re going here, Venus, we’re going here!” There was a sign in the stands that read, “Welcome to the Williams Show.”
“Wow,” Williams said in her court interview. “Thank you, you guys. Thank you for showing up for us.”
Williams hasn’t won the New York Women’s Doubles in New York since 2014, when she and Serena reached the quarterfinals and did not compete in any Grand Slam tournament since the 2018 French Open.
“It’s an area where I’m not that comfortable, in the doubles court, but I don’t think you’re thinking about it any more in the game,” Williams said. “I do what I have to do when pushing the push, but I’m a singles player, so of course, when I go out, I actually tell myself I’m just going to play singles and try that. I try not to be something I’m not.”
The older Williams won seven Grand Slam titles in singles, and the other two won in mixed doubles. She had been on leave for 16 months until she returned to action in Washington singles and doubles in July.
“I improved very quickly with the number of games I played,” Williams said. “I didn’t have to come back to play tennis, but eventually I found my own path.”
In the grass in Flushing, Williams lost in the first round of mixed doubles and singles before being awarded the wildcard for women’s doubles. Fernandez smiled and smiled on his face after receiving a call from Williams who wanted to play doubles with her, describing him as “like a child.”
She was shocked to hear the comparison with Serena.
“That’s probably the biggest compliment I’ve ever received,” Fernandez said. “I think those are big shoes to fill.”
Williams returned to the U.S. Open for the first time since 2022, and continued to travel to New York before succumbing to a singles game on Monday night. Ulrikke Eikeri and Eri Hozumi scored the next in the second round doubles.
“I really feel great,” Williams said. “Luckily, we’ll stay and maybe win another round and just keep getting better.”
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A wellness enthusiast and certified nutrition advisor, Meera covers everything from healthy living tips to medical breakthroughs. Her articles aim to inform and inspire readers to live better every day.
