Even though Leylah Fernandez is no longer competing in the singles draw, she’s still very much at the centre of one of the biggest stories unfolding at this year’s US Open.
She’s teamed up with Venus Williams in the doubles event, and it’s a partnership that’s off to an impressive start.
Williams, 24 years her senior, has been sharing plenty of advice along the way, and together they’ve already reached the quarterfinals.
READ MORE: Naomi Osaka prepares for tough US Open semi-final test against Amanda Anisimova
This marks Fernandez as Venus Williams’ 11th doubles partner. And now she’s taken a moment to offer an apology to her younger sister, Serena.
Venus Williams jokes about ‘abandoning’ Serena after partnering Leylah Fernandez
The story is more lighthearted than it might appear. The two had just won their Round of 16 match when reporter Erin Vail asked Venus about how she was getting along with Leylah compared to her usual time spent with Serena on court.
“I’ve loved playing with her so far,” said Venus. “She brings so much intensity and energy onto the court. There are moments I know that I’m not able to get them going again but then I hear her behind me screaming and pumping us up.”
Venus then looked straight into the camera with a smile and said: “Sorry sis… maybe next year!”
Serena Williams receives apology from Leylah Fernandez on Instagram
Venus Williams has 14 Grand Slam doubles titles, but every one of those came alongside her sister Serena, who is now retired.
There was talk that Serena might make a comeback for the US Open, but instead, 45-year-old Venus teamed up with former singles finalist Fernandez.
This pairing has already proven to be Venus’s most successful outside of Serena. Their latest victory over the 12th-seeded duo of Ekaterina Alexandrova and Shuai Zhang earned them a spot in the quarterfinals.
After they secured their quarterfinal spot, Fernandez posted on Instagram to celebrate and included a playful apology to Serena.
“And just like that, we’re in the QUARTERS @venuswilliams,” Fernandez wrote. “PS: I’m sorry I stole your partner @serenawilliams … she’s pretty awesome (wink emoji).”
Will Serena Williams be in the stands for Venus and Fernandez?
It’s not the first time Serena’s name has come up during this tournament. Venus was asked about her sister during an on-court interview earlier in the event.
Venus answered with a laugh, saying she’d love to see Serena there in person for their next match.
“She’s so happy for Leylah and I,” Venus said. “She’s given us advice. And really we just need her in the [player] box. So my message is, ‘Serena, you need to show up.’”
The topic didn’t end there, as it followed Venus into her press conference where she admitted that while she would love to see her sister courtside, it might be best if she stayed away.
“If she came, it would be a dream for both of us, and we’d have her on the court coaching,” said Venus. “We’d force her to hit, even though she doesn’t hit often. It’s probably best she doesn’t come because we’d probably bully her!”
Looking ahead, Williams and Fernandez are set for a tough test against top seeds Taylor Townsend and Katerina Siniakova in their quarterfinal clash.
Townsend will be determined to bounce back after an early singles exit, especially now that they’re facing the team sitting at world number one in doubles ranking.
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