Venus Williams ‘very proud’ as her US Open doubles dream run with Leylah Fernandez ends in quarterfinals

By George Ramsay, CNN

(CNN) — Venus Williams and partner Leylah Fernandez saw their unlikely run to the US Open quarterfinals end with a 6-1, 6-2 defeat against Taylor Townsend and Kateřina Siniaková.

Williams and Fernandez, a late, wild-card entry in the women’s doubles, won their first three matches in New York without dropping a set before being overpowered by the top-seeded team on Tuesday.

For the 45-year-old Williams, who returned to tennis from a 16-month layoff in July, the defeat draws to a close her 25th appearance at the US Open having played in this year’s singles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles competitions.

“I think what I’m proudest of is it’s not easy to come off the bench,” she told reporters. “It really isn’t, and I have never had a layoff that long. It brought new challenges that I wasn’t ready for in so many ways.

“I’m very proud that I stayed myself. I didn’t try to play another game. I didn’t try to play it safe. I went for it, and that’s who I am. I go for it. When you go for it, good things happen. Perhaps I didn’t get there this time, but I know who I am.”

Ahead of the quarterfinals, Williams said that it would have been a “dream” for sister Serena, who had been watching matches from home, to come and spectate in person.

The sister duo won 14 grand slam doubles titles together between 1999 and 2016, as well as three Olympic gold medals, but Venus’ hopes of adding to her tally with a different partner came to an end against a dominant Townsend and Siniaková.

The match in Louis Armstrong Stadium lasted just 56 minutes, with Townsend and Siniaková converting five of their six break points and only dropping six points on their own serves.

“I’m really happy with the way that we played today,” Townsend told reporters. “After the match, I felt like we really executed our game plans to a T, and that’s the most that we can ask as players.

“Venus is a legend and understands and knows how to win and figure things out when things aren’t going her way,” she added. “And Leylah the same, she always is a fighter. It really made me very proud, and I’m sure Kat as well, of the way we were able to stay solid from start to finish.”

Williams, a seven-time grand slam champion in singles, did not say when she next expected to play, but added that her focus “will always be singles” over doubles.

“I think after this tournament I can really see where I want to improve, what I can work on,” she added.

In her first-round singles match, Williams took a set off No. 11 seed Karolína Muchová but ultimately fell to a 6-3, 2-6, 6-1 defeat. Playing at her first grand slam since the 2023 US Open, she was the oldest singles player at the tournament since 1981.

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