Although Serena Williams is no longer competing in the US Open, her influence was unmistakable on Monday. Venus Williams shared that Serena has been offering guidance from a distance as she and Leylah Fernandez advanced to the doubles quarterfinals.
Venus and Fernandez, who entered as wildcards, defeated the 12th seeds Ekaterina Alexandrova and Zhang Shuai with a 6-3 6-4 victory. This triumph marked Venus’s first major doubles quarterfinal since 2016, adding another chapter to her unexpected journey with the 22-year-old Canadian partner.
The evening was a mix of nostalgia and youthful vigor, as Venus, who has 14 doubles titles with Serena, is now creating a new narrative with Fernandez’s energetic flair. She humorously invited Serena to join them at Flushing Meadows.
“She gave me a pep talk today. Watching makes her nervous, especially with her kids cheering for me,” Venus said on-court.
“Serena is thrilled for Leylah and me and gives us advice. We need her here. My message is, Serena, you need to be present.”
The Louis Armstrong Stadium crowd was vibrant, energizing the American veteran, while the off-court atmosphere was just as captivating.
Vogue editor Anna Wintour and actor Rami Malek were seen mingling with the fans, thanks to the stadium’s absence of luxury boxes.
Despite the lively New York audience, Venus confessed that the most significant voice she hears is Serena’s guidance from afar.
“She’s definitely coaching from a distance,” Venus told reporters later. “She gave me a pep talk, ensuring she called me today. I acknowledged her advice.”
Fernandez added, laughing: “If she came, we’d likely persuade her to practice with us.”
Williams and Fernandez continue their fairytale journey and are set to face the top seeds Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend next, who recently lost a marathon singles match after missing eight match points.
