US Open run ends for Venus Williams and Leylah Fernandez in doubles QF defeat
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Venus Williams’ campaign at the US Open came to a close after she and Leylah Fernandez lost their women’s doubles quarterfinal match.
The pair fell 6-1, 6-2 to top seeds Taylor Townsend and Katerina Siniakova.
Williams and Fernandez were playing together for the first time. Entering the draw as wild cards, they managed an impressive run by winning three matches.
Their highlight came in the third round, where they defeated the No. 12 seeds, Ekaterina Alexandrova and Shuai Zhang. Following that victory, Williams even urged her sister and former doubles partner, Serena, to attend for extra support.
But the quarterfinal clash lasted just 56 minutes. Townsend and Siniakova used their strong partnership and experience to dominate. They hit 19 winners and won 88% of points on their first serves, securing their place in the semifinals.
Townsend and Siniakova, who already lifted the Wimbledon title in 2024 and the Australian Open earlier this year, will face No. 4 seeds Veronika Kudermetova and Elise Mertens in the semifinals. Kudermetova and Mertens advanced by beating Mirra Andreeva and Diana Shnaider, the No. 5 seeds, in straight sets.
For Williams, 45, this was another step in her return to tennis. The seven-time Grand Slam singles champion resumed competition earlier this summer after a 16-month break. She has not announced retirement and continues to compete in singles and doubles.
Asked about her future after the US Open, Williams said: "I don't know. I was so focused on this tournament here. I really felt like we had a chance to really continue to play into the tournament. So I haven't given that any thought. I do have commitments, you know, places I said I'd be, people expecting me to be there, like, the next few weeks. So I have to go and show up. But I'm very serious about my commitments. I would never want to cancel now, so I'll try to keep those. If there is opportunity for me to play, then hopefully I can get back somewhere this year. I just don't know. I really don't."
