‘My best partner since Serena’ – Williams and Fernandez win opener

US Open 2025

Dates: August 24 through September 7 in Flushing Meadows, New York

In the first round of the US Open women’s doubles, Venus Williams and Leylah Fernandez defeated defending champion Lyudmyla Kichenok and her partner Ellen Perez.

With a 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 victory over the sixth seeds, Williams, 45, and her partner, 22, Fernandez, 22, will face Japan’s Eri Hozumi and Ulrikke Eikeri of Norway in the second round.

Williams, who won 14 Grand Slam titles playing alongside younger sister Serena, accepted a wildcard invitation to partner Fernandez on Wednesday after suffering aspirited defeat in the women’s singles first round on Tuesday.

We play the same way, and I’m a little bigger than them, but we’re a fantastic team. She is by far my favorite partner, despite not having worked with Serena.”

“I don’t believe we came in with a plan,” Fernandez, whose tennis heroes were the Williams sisters when they were younger, said. In the beginning, we tried to figure out the details.

Venus used the most amazing, amazing advice during a transition: “Reduce your energy.” That was undoubtedly helpful.

Fernandez described playing tennis with her idol Williams as “nervous and exciting.”

“I was so happy the night before, and I was shaking.” Thank you for making that happen, because you were so welcoming and nice.

Williams and Fernandez appeared to be heading home as soon as they made their decision to play together.

The small-and-large combo won the set tiebreaker after falling two break points, but the little-and-large combo rallied with two additional breaks before winning the set tiebreaker.

The American and Canadian duo broke into love in the second game before surviving two break points when the third set was threatened by pressure.

The set continued until Fernandez, who was born three years after Williams won her first New York women’s doubles title in 1999, served to love for victory.

Jelena Ostapenko and Kichenok from Ukraine shared the women’s doubles title last year.

Serena and Williams’ younger sister Serena also won the US Open women’s doubles titles in 1999 and 2009.

With a 6-3, 7-5 victory over Lois Boisson and Tatjana Maria, second seeds Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini were eliminated.

Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud defeated last week’s final of the revamped competition to defend their mixed doubles title alongside Andrea Vavassori.

Third seeds Elise Mertens and Veronika Kudermetova defeated Czech duo Solana Sierra and Yvonne Cavalle-Reimers, and third seeds Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe won 6-3, 6-0.

Fifth seeds Diana Shnaider and women’s singles number five Mirra Andreeva defeated their British counterpart Yulia Putintseva 6-1, 6-2.