Serena Williams Coaches From Afar As Venus Sparks Doubles Surprise At US Open

Serena Williams may be absent from this year’s US Open, but she’s still very much involved—cheering (and coaching) from afar as her sister Venus stages an unexpected run in the women’s doubles.

On Monday, Venus Williams and her partner, Canadian star Leylah Fernandez, stormed into the quarterfinals with a commanding 6-3, 6-4 win over Zhang Shuai and Ekaterina Alexandrova. Impressively, the pair have yet to drop a set in the competition.

Next up is a blockbuster showdown with top seeds Taylor Townsend and Kateřina Siniaková—a match Serena, the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion, will be watching closely from home.

“She’s definitely coaching from afar,” Venus told reporters. “She’s so excited, but she gets so nervous watching. She’s got the kids watching too. They’re all at home, just really on our side.”

That naturally raises the question: will Serena make a surprise courtside appearance in New York?

“If she came, it would be a dream for both of us, and we’d have her on the court coaching,” Venus smiled. “We’d probably even force her to hit, even though she doesn’t hit often. Honestly, it’s probably better she doesn’t come—we’d bully her into it.”

While Serena stepped away from professional tennis three years ago, 45-year-old Venus remains a fan favorite and continues to make her mark. The seven-time Grand Slam singles champion accepted a wild card into the singles draw this year, even taking a set off 11th seed Karolína Muchová in the opening round. She also teamed up with Reilly Opelka in the mixed doubles, but her most inspiring run has come alongside Fernandez in women’s doubles.

“At first, I was like, ‘No, I’m not very good at doubles. I haven’t played much tennis lately, and I don’t want to get out there making mistakes,’” Venus admitted. “But then an hour later, I thought, maybe I can do this. Maybe we actually have a chance.”

For Fernandez, 22, partnering with Venus has been nothing short of transformative.

“I’m growing so much just by playing with her,” the 2021 US Open finalist said. “Even my family notices it. Whatever Venus says on the bench, I’m soaking it in like a sponge. It’s such a huge opportunity to learn from a great champion, a true legend.”

With Serena cheering from the sidelines and Venus proving that age is just a number, this doubles journey has become one of the most heartwarming storylines of this year’s US Open.