NEW YORK — Venus Williams is set to take the stage in women’s doubles at the U.S. Open, having received a wild-card entry alongside 2021 singles finalist Leylah Fernandez from Canada on Tuesday.
At 45 years old, Williams is making her return to Grand Slam action after a two-year hiatus, having resumed her professional tennis career in July following a challenging 16-month break from competition.
Last week, she participated in mixed doubles and returned to singles play on Monday evening—both through wild cards provided by the U.S. Tennis Association.
Though she was eliminated in the first round of each event, the joy of being back on the court was palpable after battling injuries and health issues. Following surgery for uterine fibroids last year, she expressed her relief at being pain-free after a three-set match against 11th-seeded Karolina Muchova.
“Oh, what did I prove to myself?” Williams pondered, echoing a question from a reporter during her post-match conference. “For me, getting back on the court was about giving myself the opportunity to play healthier. When you play while unwell, it affects your mindset too. It was refreshing to feel more liberated.”
Williams made history as the oldest player to compete in singles at the U.S. Open since 1981, captivating the audience who cheered her enthusiastically, waving their cameras and chanting “Let’s go, Venus!” before sending her off the Arthur Ashe Stadium court with a heartfelt standing ovation.
Alongside her impressive seven Grand Slam singles titles, Williams boasts an impressive 14 major championships in women’s doubles, all won with her sister, Serena. Two of these victories occurred at the U.S. Open, in 1999 and 2009.
The last time they played together at the U.S. Open was in 2022, coinciding with Serena’s final singles match at the venue.
Now, Williams and the 22-year-old Fernandez from Laval, Quebec, will take on the sixth-seeded duo of Lyudmyla Kichenok from Ukraine and Ellen Perez from Australia in their opening round.
Fernandez previously faced Emma Raducanu in the U.S. Open singles final four years ago.
Before accepting a surprise wild card to the hard-court tournament in Washington last month, Williams had not played an official match since the Miami Open in March 2024. In Washington, she entered both singles and doubles, winning a match in each category.
This U.S. Open marks her first major tournament appearance since competing at Flushing Meadows in 2023.
