NEW YORK — Venus Williams and Leylah Fernandez advanced to the third round of women’s doubles at the U.S. Open after a thrilling victory over Ulrikke Eikeri and Eri Hozumi, securing the match 7-6 (1), 6-1 on Saturday.
Similar to their first-round match, Williams and Fernandez started off slowly but quickly found their groove. This dynamic duo—45-year-old Williams and 22-year-old Fernandez—had never teamed up until this tournament, entering the competition through a wild-card entry.
“We’ve got our little secrets,” Williams shared. “I was sharing some tips with her, but we kind of forgot that we were down. What really matters is focusing on winning the match, regardless of the score. Just keep playing to win each point, and suddenly you find yourselves coming out on top.”
A 14-time Grand Slam women’s doubles champion alongside her sister Serena, Williams wowed the crowd at Flushing Meadows as she performed her iconic twirl-and-wave. Throughout the match, she rallied the audience to cheer for the duo.
“Actually, that’s a first for me,” Williams admitted. “But we were trailing, so we needed the uplifting energy from all of you. Your support was crucial.”
After a 16-month absence from the tour, Williams made her return in July, competing in both singles and doubles at Washington.
In her singles run at the U.S. Open, she managed to push 11th-seeded Karolina Muchova to a thrilling three-set match before exiting the tournament.
Fernandez, who reached the singles final in 2021, expressed that playing alongside Williams has been a significant source of inspiration for her.
“It’s been such a blast,” Fernandez said enthusiastically. “I adore Venus! She kept checking in on me between changeovers, and I was like: ‘I’m feeling great, so excited!’”
