Venus wins a U.S. Open women's doubles match for 1st time since 2014 — without Serena

Venus Williams insists she shouldn’t be a very good doubles participant. The 14 main championships she and Serena Williams gained collectively inform a unique story.

With out her youthful sister by her aspect, Venus confirmed on Thursday (August 28, 2025) that she’s nonetheless bought it. Venus gained a girls’s doubles match on the U.S. Open for the primary time in additional than a decade, teaming with Leylah Fernandez to defeat the sixth-seeded pair of Lyudmyla Kichenok and Ellen Perez 7-6 (4), 6-3.

When it was over, the 45-year-old Venus did her signature twirl-and-wave and referred to as Fernandez “the very best associate I ever performed with — exterior of Serena.” The 22-year-old Canadian even reminded Venus of Serena.

“Our vitality actually matched one another when it comes to dedication, when it comes to not giving up, when it comes to actually nonetheless simply targeted and dialed in in each single factor,” Venus stated. “That felt wonderful as a result of I by no means actually performed with a associate — exterior of Serena, clearly — who had that type of mentality, so it was actually enjoyable.”

Venus and Fernandez, the 2021 singles runner-up at Flushing Meadows, had been heavy fan favorites at a nearly-full Louis Armstrong Stadium, and the chair umpire needed to ask the group a number of instances to calm down.

The spectators gave Venus and Fernandez a standing ovation after they claimed the opening tiebreaker regardless of trailing 5-2 in that set — and rose once more to cheer after the match led to 90 minutes.

“Leylah is an efficient participant, (and) Venus can be a very good doubles participant,” Kichenok stated. “They’ve performed doubles many instances. They know what it’s. Perhaps it took a little bit of time to regulate firstly, however then they discovered their rhythm.”

All through the match, there have been chants of “Right here we go, Venus, right here we go!” and an indication within the stands learn, “Welcome to the Williams present.”

“Wow,” Venus stated in her on-court interview. “Thanks, you guys. Thanks for displaying up for us.”

Venus hadn’t gained a girls’s doubles match in New York since 2014, when she and Serena made it to the quarterfinals, or at any Grand Slam event for the reason that 2018 French Open.

“It is an space that I am not that snug in, being on a doubles court docket, however I feel you get to some level within the match the place you cease interested by it,” Venus stated. “When push involves shove, I will do what I’ve to, however I am a singles participant, so in fact once I stroll on the market, I really inform myself simply to play singles and take a look at that technique. I attempt to not be one thing that I am not.” The older Venus gained seven Grand Slam titles in singles and one other two in combined doubles. She had been off the tour for 16 months till returning to motion by taking part in singles and doubles at Washington in July.

“With the quantity of matches I’ve performed, I am progressing in a short time,” Venus stated. “I did not have to return again to play tennis, however ultimately I discovered my method again.”

At Flushing Meadows, Venus misplaced within the first spherical of combined doubles and singles, then was awarded a wild card for ladies’s doubles. Fernandez described feeling “like a child on Christmas Day” and leaping round with a smile on her face after getting the decision that Venus wished to play doubles together with her.

She was shocked to listen to the comparability to Serena.

“It is most likely the most important praise I’ve ever gotten,” Fernandez stated. “I really feel like these are huge footwear to fill.”

Again in doubles on the U.S. Open for the primary time since 2022, Venus will get to maintain getting into New York after pushing Eleventh-seeded Karolina Muchova to 3 units earlier than bowing out of singles play Monday (August 25, 2025) night time. Ulrikke Eikeri and Eri Hozumi are up subsequent within the second spherical of doubles.

“I really really feel nice,” Venus stated. “With some luck, we’ll keep, possibly win one other spherical and simply preserve getting higher.”