Stunning Run Cut Short by Dominant Favorites
Venus Williams and Leylah Fernandez saw their electric US Open doubles campaign come to a halt in the quarterfinals, falling 6-1, 6-2 to the top-ranked team of Taylor Townsend and Katerina Siniakova. The world No. 1s proved too clinical, dominating from the opening serve and neutralizing the North American duo with relentless precision.
The first set was one-way traffic, with Siniakova and Townsend racing to a 4-0 lead behind two early breaks and winning 74% of all points played. Venus held once, but it was all they could muster as the Czech-American pair closed out the set with authority.
In the second, Fernandez finally held serve at 3-1, but Townsend and Siniakova continued to roll, closing out the match in just over an hour. They advance to the semifinals where they will face fourth seeds Veronika Kudermetova and Elise Mertens.
Siniakova K / Townsend T vs Fernandez L A / Williams V – Full Match Stats
| Statistic | Siniakova K / Townsend T | Fernandez L A / Williams V |
|---|---|---|
| Dominance Ratio | 3.20 | 0.31 |
| Winners | 17 | 7 |
| Unforced Errors | 0 | 8 |
| Serve Rating | 329 | 175 |
| Aces | 2 | 0 |
| Double Faults | 2 | 3 |
| 1st Serve % | 74% (25/34) | 61% (28/46) |
| 1st Serve Points Won | 88% (22/25) | 57% (16/28) |
| 2nd Serve Points Won | 67% (6/9) | 22% (4/18) |
| Break Points Saved | – (0/0) | 17% (1/6) |
| Service Games | 100% (7/7) | 38% (3/8) |
| Ace % | 5.9% | 0% |
| Double Fault % | 5.9% | 6.5% |
| Return Rating | 267 | 45 |
| 1st Return Points Won | 43% (12/28) | 12% (3/25) |
| 2nd Return Points Won | 78% (14/18) | 33% (3/9) |
| Break Points Won | 83% (5/6) | – (0/0) |
| Return Games | 63% (5/8) | 0% (0/7) |
| Forehand Winners | 11 | 5 |
| Backhand Winners | 4 | 2 |
| Volley Winners | 15 | 5 |
| Lob Winners | 0 | 0 |
| Overhead Winners | 2 | 0 |
| Forehand Unforced Errors | 0 | 5 |
| Backhand Unforced Errors | 0 | 3 |
| Volley Unforced Errors | 0 | 3 |
| Pressure Points Won | 67% (6/9) | 33% (3/9) |
| Service Points Won | 82% (28/34) | 43% (20/46) |
| Return Points Won | 57% (26/46) | 18% (6/34) |
| Total Points Won | 68% (54/80) | 33% (26/80) |
| Max Points In A Row | 11 | 3 |
| Service Games Won | 100% (7/7) | 38% (3/8) |
| Return Games Won | 63% (5/8) | 0% (0/7) |
| Total Games Won | 80% (12/15) | 20% (3/15) |
| Max Games In A Row | 5 | 1 |
| Match Duration | 1h 23m | |
A Week of Wins and Unexpected Magic
What began as a surprise pairing quickly turned into a headline-making story. Venus Williams, 45, and Leylah Fernandez, 22, were announced as a duo just days before the tournament began. Many expected a ceremonial showing, but they shocked the field with three impressive wins—two of them over seeded teams.
They opened by taking out sixth seeds Kichenok and Perez in straight sets, followed by wins over Eikeri and Hozumi, and then twelfth seeds Alexandrova and Zhang. Their chemistry, court craft, and crowd energy lit up Louis Armstrong Stadium through the first week.
Venus Leaves Flushing Meadows with Questions Ahead
This could be the final appearance of the season for Venus Williams, who has focused her schedule exclusively on U.S.-based events. With no plans to travel internationally, fans may have to wait until next spring’s U.S. events to see her back on court.