US OPEN

August 28, 2025

Leylah Fernandez

Venus Williams

Press Conference

FERNANDEZ-WILLIAMS/Kichenok-Perez

7-6, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. I was just wondering, Leylah, what it's like to get that phone call and hear that Venus Williams wants to play doubles with you at the US Open and how this partnership came together?

LEYLAH FERNANDEZ: I was like a kid on Christmas day just jumping around. I was so happy. I don't think I stopped smiling for the whole night and even in the morning. I was just super happy and excited.

I'm just glad that we got the chance to play together and move on to the next round.

Q. Venus, you're a trendsetter and fashion icon. Can you tell us about your red bomber jacket, the customized one you were wearing today, and also that interesting furry bag that you brought yesterday.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, I've just been having fun on the court. It's fun to express yourself. Today my jacket was Phillip Lim, and the other day it was ERL. So just designers that I like. It's been cute. So, yeah, thank you.

Q. I was wondering how much strategy sessions you had in advance of playing together today. Did you sit down and talk to each other about it?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I mean, we hit together (laughing). I think that was important, like, to not come out on the court cold, right?

LEYLAH FERNANDEZ: 100%.

VENUS WILLIAMS: I'm used to being the big sister, so I'm kind of, like, asking her what she wants. It's important for her to feel comfortable.

Theoretically I have the more experience, but she's been playing a lot more matches, so maybe that makes us neck and neck, right, in terms of how we can compete.

But I think we just had to see what happened, right, because you never know what's going to happen in a match and you have to adjust. Once we got down, then I feel like we just put our foot on the gas.

LEYLAH FERNANDEZ: That's actually very true. I think the important part was to hit together. I don't think we really had any strategy going into the match playing against such an experienced team, but I feel like very confident with both of our games. At 2-5 I think we kind of figured it out a little bit more and just enjoyed our time on court.

Q. Venus, you haven't been on a doubles court for about ten years. What did it feel like being out there?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I always tell people, I'm not good at doubles. No one believes me.

You know, I think traditionally doubles players are crossing and moving, and I don't necessarily do all of that, but push comes to shove, I'll do what I have to. I'm a singles player, so of course, when I walk out there, I actually tell myself just to play singles and try that method, and I try not to be something that I'm not.

To be honest, it's an area that I'm not that comfortable in being on the doubles court, but I think you get to some point in the match where you stop thinking about it, and then you just zone.

Q. Venus, how does your partnership with Leylah influence your approach on court?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I actually felt great. I felt great, because I feel like we had the same approach in terms of how we looked at the match. When we got down 2-5, neither one of us were anywhere near giving up. We want to win that set. Our energy really matched each other in terms of determination, in terms of not giving up, in terms of really still just focus and dialed in on every single thing.

That felt amazing, because I never really played with a partner, outside of Serena, obviously, who had that kind of mentality. So it was really fun, and I think we can just hopefully continue to get better.

Q. Just curious, in that tiebreak where the margins are so thin, just curious how you saw that tiebreak and were able to close it out to win the set.

LEYLAH FERNANDEZ: I have no idea what I was thinking during that tiebreak (laughing). I think I just kind of went on instincts. Venus said it perfectly. Play it as if it was a singles match. So I just didn't want to think too much on put the ball in a certain spot to help my partner. No, I just wanted to go out there, play, and I had full confidence with Venus at the net and even in the baseline.

It was just, like, going out there, hit, and balls were going in on our side.

Q. I wanted to ask you, Venus, about your dress. I think at least in singles I read it was inspired by Althea Gibson and the all white. Yeah, just wondering if that's the case, and if so, why that was important to do that.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Everything this year is inspired by Althea, right? It's a big year, and she's an American champion. I'm so happy that we're paying homage to her, that people are getting to know her and her accomplishments, what that means for us, and how inspiring it is for every single person. I have to say probably everything I wear.

Q. Venus, you just resurfaced after having been away for a while. Was it always your intent to come back now, and how much preparation did you put into showing up for such a big event?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I prepared the best that I could. At the end of the day, once you walk on a match court, as much as you might even tell yourself it's not different, it is.

And I feel like with the amount of matches I've played, I'm progressing very quickly. I didn't have to come back to play tennis (laughing), but eventually I found my way back.

Q. Very quick question for Leylah. Is it right, Leylah, you are ambidextrous?

LEYLAH FERNANDEZ: Not really. I'm able to do a couple of things with my right hand, like I much prefer throw a baseball with my right hand, signing with my right hand, but I write essays with my left hand. I'm a little weird like that (laughing). It's just whatever comes naturally to me. Yeah, that's it.

Q. Tennis is always left?

LEYLAH FERNANDEZ: Always left-handed, yeah.

Q. You brought up all your doubles greatness and your 14 titles with Serena in doubles. It feels like almost an afterthought to you or you forget how much that you've won and that you're one of the best doubles players of this century maybe. I mean, because for a lot of people that would be career history-making, but for you it almost feels like it's a side project at times. I'm curious how you just see your doubles and your doubles legacy even.

VENUS WILLIAMS: It was absolutely not a side project. We mostly played at the majors for a reason. We wanted to win majors. That was important to us.

So, yes, it's not a side project, but at the same time, did I practice doubles? Not really. After you play a lot more, you get better at some of those doubles sort of strategies, but in the beginning if you're on the singles court so much, you come as a singles player. So then I focused on being the best singles player I can be in doubles until those moves start to become more automatic.

So when we were playing a lot more back in the day, then, yes, I was doing a little bit more in terms of playing more like a doubles player. So I think with some luck, we'll stay, maybe win another round, and just keep getting better at the doubles.

Q. Leylah, Venus said you were the best doubles partner she's had outside of Serena. What does that mean to you, and how excited are you to be able to do this again?

LEYLAH FERNANDEZ: I was shocked (laughing). It was like probably the biggest compliment I ever got, so thank you, Venus. Oh, man. I feel like those are big shoes to fill at the moment.

But no, I'm just super happy. I think it's just another opportunity for me to get better as a tennis player and just keep improving.