Venus accepts wild card into US Open doubles, will play with Fernandez

Venus Williams has accepted a wild card into the doubles draw at the US Open, where she'll play with former singles finalist Leylah Fernandez. Venus has won the US Open doubles title twice -- first in 1999, and then in 2009, both time with her sister.

NEW YORK -- She just can't quit the US Open.

After losing in the revamped mixed doubles tournament with Reilly Opelka, and then dropping her first-round match against 11th-seeded Karolina Muchova -- a three-setter that saw her even the match after dropping the first -- Venus Williams will stick around in Queens for a bit longer to play doubles.

The 45-year-old icon has accepted a wild card into the doubles draw alongside former US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez. (Fernandez is still in the singles draw after defeating Rebecca Marino in the first round. She'll play Elsa Jacquemot in the second round on Wednesday.)

Williams, a two-time US Open singles champion, has also won two doubles titles in Flushing Meadows -- in 1999, alongside her sister, and then again ten years later (again with Serena).

The seven-time Slam singles champ was certainly feeling the love from the New York crowd in Arthur Ashe Stadium on Monday night, and after the match she said it was perhaps the most supportive crowd she's ever played in front of. (And that's saying something, considering she's been on the Hologic WTA Tour since 1994 and has won 23 total majors.)

"I don't think I've ever had a crowd that much on my side," she said. "When I lost those first two games, they were just still right there with me every point. Didn't matter if I was losing and it was starting to roll fast, they were just right there with me. It felt great.

"I knew going into this match that people in this stadium, people in the United States, people around the world were really rooting for me, and that felt great."

Venus and Leylah Fernandez Come Full Circle

Fernandez is a fitting partner for Williams. In Cincinnati, when the reigning Washington D.C. champion was scheduled to potentially play Venus in the third round -- that didn't end up happening, as both players lost before that -- Fernandez talked about her kinship with Williams.

"Venus, she's a legend," Fernandez said earlier this summer. "She's an icon. Growing up, when I first started playing tennis, people asked me, 'Who did you watch when you were growing up?' I always said Justine Henin and the Williams sisters.

"I see a lot of similarities between their family and my family. They kind of built the path for us, and if I do have the opportunity to play against her, I'm just gonna be super happy, a little kid living her dream and playing one of her idols."

She won't play against her, but will instead play with her -- which is probably even more thrilling.

The World No. 30 also recalled meeting Venus back in 2020, when she first turned pro and didn't know many players. It was in August of that year, at the Top Seed Open outside of Lexington, Kentucky, and Fernandez remembers that Venus was one of the first players who wanted to practice with her, something she always appreciated and will never forget.

"I thought I was going to be very intimidated, but she was super nice and welcoming," Fernandez said. "She encouraged me, so it was pretty cool."

Williams and Fernandez will play sixth-seeded Lyudmyla Kichenok and Ellen Perez in the first round.

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