US Open 2025
Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York Dates: 24 August-7 September
Coverage: Live radio commentaries across 5 Live Sport and BBC Sounds, plus live text commentaries on the BBC Sport website & app
Venus Williams and Leylah Fernandez have continued their impressive US Open campaign, advancing to the women’s doubles quarter-finals.
The American veteran, 45, and her 22-year-old Canadian partner secured a decisive 6-3, 6-1 victory over the 12th-seeded duo of Ekaterina Alexandrova and Zhang Shuai in a 74-minute match held at Louis Armstrong Stadium.
The wildcard entrants have now eliminated two seeded teams and have yet to concede a set through three rounds.
Fueled by enthusiastic support, Williams and Fernandez quickly established a 3-0 lead in the first set. Although their opponents briefly rallied, the pair regained control, with Williams ultimately serving out the set.
The American-Canadian team showcased strong coordination, with Fernandez demonstrating skillful net play. They broke Zhang’s serve again in the third game of the second set.
Despite a brief comeback from their opponents, Williams and Fernandez responded with another break against Zhang, sealing the victory with a sharp volley interception by Fernandez at the net.
Osaka pounces on Gauff’s uncertainty in US Open win
Auger-Aliassime sets up De Minaur quarter-final
Williams, a decorated champion with seven singles and 14 women’s doubles Grand Slam titles, is competing in her 25th US Open.
She claimed her first of two women’s doubles titles in New York alongside her sister Serena in 1999, three years prior to Fernandez’s birth.
During the on-court interview, Fernandez addressed Williams, stating: “Seeing you play on court with the same big smile you had back then is so inspirational and motivates me to keep going. I love that you love tennis.”
This marks Williams’ first major quarter-final appearance since her Wimbledon victory in 2016, which she also secured alongside Serena.
When asked if she had a message for her sister, Williams playfully responded: “She’s so happy for Leylah and I, she’s given us advice and we just need her in the box, so my message is ‘Serena, you need to show up!'”
Their quarter-final opponents could be the top-seeded team of Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, whose third-round match was yet to commence as Williams and Fernandez concluded their match and signed autographs for fans.
For Alexandrova, this marked her second defeat of the day at Louis Armstrong Stadium, following her earlier singles loss to Iga Swiatek on the same court.
Live scores, results and order of play
Get tennis news sent straight to your phone