Venus Williams is making headlines at the 2025 US Open, yet her sister, Serena, has not been present to witness the excitement firsthand.
On September 1, Venus and her doubles partner, Leylah Fernandez, triumphed in a thrilling match, advancing to the quarterfinals amidst a lively crowd at Louis Armstrong Stadium.
The unseeded duo, consisting of 45-year-old Venus and 22-year-old Fernandez, is set to face the top-seeded team of Taylor Townsend and Kateřina Siniaková on September 2.
Following their victory, Venus expressed her disappointment regarding Serena's absence throughout the tournament.
“She’s so happy for Leylah and I and she’s given us advice,” Venus stated during an on-court interview with ESPN. “We just need her in the [player’s] box. My message is: Serena, you need to show up.”
Throughout their careers, Venus and Serena have collectively secured 14 Grand Slam women’s doubles titles while competing together on the WTA Tour.
Serena has not participated in a professional match since the 2022 US Open, where she announced her decision to “move on from playing tennis.”
Despite her physical absence in New York City, Serena has been following Venus's journey from home.
“When you see your sister @VenusWilliams has a new doubles partner @leylahanniefernandez and you are really happy she’s winning with someone else…” Serena shared on TikTok on August 31, accompanied by a video of her playfully forcing a smile, hinting at the bittersweet nature of watching Venus succeed with a new partner.
After their opening round win on August 28, Venus humorously remarked about her doubles skills, saying she “wasn’t very good at doubles.”
“Our energy really matched each other in terms of determination, in terms of not giving up, in terms of really still just focused and dialed in in every single thing,” Venus reflected on her partnership with Fernandez. “That felt amazing because I never really played with a partner—outside of Serena, obviously—who had that kind of mentality, so it was really fun.”
In singles action, Venus fought valiantly against Karolina Muchová on August 25 but ultimately lost 6-3, 2-6, 6-1. This performance garnered admiration from Serena.
“Strength, courage, determination, class, perseverance, inspiration… there’s not enough words to describe how proud I am of you @VenusWilliams,” Serena wrote on Instagram. “P.S. I hope to be like you.”
