Venus Williams 'very proud' to have showcased fearless tennis in stunning US Open return as doubles run alongside Leylah Fernandez ends
Published 03/09/2025 at 09:32 GMT+1
This year's US Open crowd were treated to a remarkable return for one of their all-time American greats, 45-year-old Venus Williams. Alongside Leylah Fernandez, Williams rolled back the years with some vintage doubles performances, but their run came to a halt on Tuesday after falling in straight-sets defeat to the world No. 1 pairing of Taylor Townsend and Katerina Siniakova.
'I went for it' - Venus Williams 'proud' of doubles run in New York after quarter-final exit
Video credit: SNTV
Venus Williams said she is "very proud" to have showcased her brand of fearless tennis at this year's US Open, as her remarkable return to the sport came to an end on Tuesday.
Williams, who won seven singles Grand Slam titles and 14 majors alongside her sister Serena in doubles, was listed as inactive less than two months ago.
But she returned to the court for the American hard-court swing, surprising many with her level, having been out for over 16 months.
A crowd favourite at Flushing Meadows, the 45-year-old wildcard was given a punishing singles draw against No. 11 seed Karolina Muchova in the first round. She managed to take a set off the Czech, but could not prevent an early defeat.
Her doubles run alongside Leylah Fernandez, though, was a highly-successful one. Williams - at times - rekindled memories of her dominant doubles performances alongside her sister, and reached the quarter-finals without dropping a set while packing out their stadiums in the process.
On Tuesday, their run at the tournament came to an end with a straight-sets defeat to the world No. 1 pairing of Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, but Williams was keen to highlight just how proud she was over the level of tennis she displayed in her return to the sport.
"I'm so thankful to the USTA for supporting me and my effort here," Williams said. "It would have not been possible without them and them believing in me to be out here.
"I think what I'm proudest of is it's not easy to come off the bench. It really isn't, and I have never had a lay-off that long. It brought new challenges that I wasn't ready for, you know, in so many ways.
"So I'm very proud that I was just - 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, and I know that I can work once I have a little chance."
In an emotional post-match press conference after her first-round singles defeat, Williams expressed her delight at being able to play "freer," having battled health issues for numerous years of her playing career.
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It was certainly evident in her play alongside Fernandez, and despite their strong pairing, Williams reiterated her desire to prioritise playing singles - though she gave little indication as to whether her career might go on beyond this year's return.
"I think out there Leylah and I, we kept telling each other to be the best singles player we could be," Williams said. "So our focus will always be singles. I'm not going to suddenly become a doubles player. I never did; I never will. It's the singles for me."
Drawn on her future schedule, Williams added: "I don't know. I was so focused on this tournament here. I really felt like we had a chance to really continue to play into the tournament.
"So I haven't given that any thought. I do have commitments, you know, places I said I'd be, people expecting me to be there, like, the next few weeks. So I have to go and show up.
"But I'm very serious about my commitments. I would never want to cancel now, so I'll try to keep those. If there is opportunity for me to play, then hopefully I can get back somewhere this year. I just don't know. I really don't."
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Williams, though, still talked about wanting to improve her game, and feels there is room for her to do so.
"After this tournament I can really see where I want to improve, what I can work on," she said. "Yeah, I think that it's all great feedback.
"But also, I had a lot of chances to play a lot of matches here, which is what I would desperately need to get better.
"I saw myself improving so much with every match I was playing. In a lot of ways, we just ran out of time. I wish I could have played better today for Leylah. I blame myself for a lot of it. I just wasn't there. I think with a few matches I could have been a stronger partner today."
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