Venus Williams and Leylah Fernandez have progressed to the third round of the women’s doubles at the US Open, defeating Ulrikke Eikeri and Eri Hozumi with a score of 7-6 (1), 6-1 on Saturday.
Williams and Fernandez, who received a wildcard entry and had not played together before this tournament, initially fell behind as they did in their first round but managed to find their stride. The 45-year-old American and 22-year-old Canadian rallied to secure their victory.
Williams remarked, “We have a few secrets. I was sharing some advice with her, but I guess we forgot our early setback. We focused on winning. It doesn’t matter what the score is, just keep playing and winning points, and you’ll eventually succeed.”
As a 14-time Grand Slam doubles champion with her sister Serena, Williams performed her signature twirl-and-wave for the cheering crowd at Flushing Meadows and even encouraged the fans to rise and energize them.
“I’ve never done that before,” Williams admitted. “But we needed the energy from the crowd when we were down.”
Williams returned to the tour after a 16-month hiatus, competing in singles and doubles in Washington in July.
In the singles draw at the US Open, she pushed 11th-seeded Karolina Muchova to three sets in the first round but eventually exited the tournament.
Fernandez, who reached the singles final at the US Open in 2021, praised Williams as an inspiration who kept her motivated. “It was really enjoyable,” Fernandez said. “I love Venus. She kept checking in with me during changeovers, and I was like, ‘I’m feeling good, I’m excited.’”
