Venus Williams and Leylah Fernandez triumph in US Open doubles

Venus Williams and Leylah Fernandez Triumph in US Open Doubles

The legendary tennis player Venus Williams proved that she still has much to offer in the world of tennis by winning a women’s doubles match at the US Open, partnering with Leylah Fernandez. This triumph marks Williams’ first doubles victory in this tournament in over a decade. Although Williams insists she is not a prominent doubles player, her 14 Grand Slam doubles titles alongside her sister Serena Williams tell a different story. On this occasion, without Serena by her side, Williams and Fernandez managed to defeat the sixth-seeded pair, Lyudmyla Kichenok and Ellen Perez, with a score of 7-6 (4), 6-3.

The pair, who were not seeded, won the affection of the public at the Louis Armstrong stadium, where the ovation was deafening. The chair umpire had to ask for silence on several occasions.

“Our energy really matched in terms of determination, in terms of not giving up, in terms of being really focused and concentrated on each thing,” Williams commented.

Venus Williams

Fernandez, for her part, described the experience as “feeling like a little girl at Christmas” and was surprised by the comparison to Serena Williams.

“It’s probably the biggest compliment I’ve received,” Fernandez said. “I feel like they’re big shoes to fill.”

Leylah Fernandez

The atmosphere was charged with emotion, with chants of support for Williams and banners dedicated to the tennis player. Williams, who received an invitation to participate in the women’s doubles tournament, expressed her gratitude to the public. The last time Williams had won a women’s doubles match in New York was in 2014, and her last Grand Slam doubles title was at Wimbledon 2016, alongside her sister Serena. Williams and Fernandez will face Ulrikke Eikeri and Eri Hozumi in the second round of doubles. In addition to her doubles successes, Venus Williams has also achieved seven Grand Slam singles titles and two in mixed doubles. Williams returned to action in July at the Citi Open, after a 16-month absence, where she also competed in singles and doubles. At the US Open, Williams also participated in mixed doubles, marking the first time since Wimbledon 1998 that she competed in all three events at a Grand Slam. In the individual competition, Williams, the oldest player to participate in the US Open since 1981, fought in three sets against Karolina Muchova before being eliminated in her twenty-fifth appearance in the US Open main draw.