Venus Williams' US Open ends with a
loss in the women's doubles quarterfinals to Taylor Townsend
[September 03, 2025]
By HOWARD FENDRICH
NEW YORK (AP) — Venus Williams’ first Grand Slam tournament in two
years ended on Tuesday when she and Leylah Fernandez lost in the
U.S. Open women's doubles quarterfinals to the top-seeded duo of
Taylor Townsend and Katerina Siniakova 6-1, 6-2.
When the match finished after 56 minutes in Louis Armstrong Stadium,
Williams smiled as she walked to the net to shake hands with
Siniakova, then hug Townsend. Thousands of spectators rose to give
Williams a standing ovation; Townsend and Siniakova then joined in,
applauding for Williams.
“Growing up watching Venus and (her sister) Serena, for me and my
sister, it was an inspiration,” Townsend told the crowd. “It was an
honor to share the court today.”
Siniakova called Williams “a legend” and said it was “a privilege”
to play against her.
The 45-year-old Williams earlier exited in the first round of both
singles — bowing out against Karolina Muchova in three sets — and
mixed doubles. She was out of competition for 16 months until
returning to play at a tournament in Washington in July. Her most
recent major tournament had been the 2023 U.S. Open.
“What I’m proudest of is it’s not easy to come off the bench. It
really isn’t, and I have never had a layoff that long. It brought
new challenges that I wasn’t ready for in so many ways. So I’m very
proud that I ... stayed myself. I didn’t try to play another game. I
didn’t try to play it safe. I went for it, and that’s who I am. I go
for it. When you go for it, good things happen,” Williams said.
“Perhaps I didn’t get there this time, but I know who I am, and I
know that I can work once I have a little chance.”
She said she wasn't sure of future plans but made it sound as if she
plans to play again.
“Seeing Venus playing on court for joy just kind of brought me back
as to why I started playing tennis,” said Fernandez, a 22-year-old
from Canada who was the 2021 singles runner-up in New York.
Williams and Fernandez received a wild-card entry from the U.S.
Tennis Association and had not lost a set in their first three
matches of their debut as a team.
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Venus Williams, of the United States, acknowledges the crowd after
losing quarterfinal doubles match with parter Leylah Fernandez, of
Canada, at the U.S. Open tennis championships, Tuesday, Sept. 2,
2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)
Townsend, who currently is ranked No. 1 in doubles,
and Siniakova are an experienced duo who won Wimbledon in 2024 and
the Australian Open this year together. Siniakova has won a total of
10 Grand Slam titles in women's doubles.
Williams, of course, is the owner of 14 Grand Slam titles in women's
doubles alongside Serena, who left the professional tour in 2022.
The older Williams sibling also has won seven major singles
championships and another two in mixed doubles.
She was the oldest player in the singles draw at the U.S. Open since
1981.
Townsend's time in Flushing Meadows continues in women's doubles
after she failed to convert eight match points and got knocked out
of singles in the fourth round by Barbora Krejcikova.
“It was a tough match, but ultimately, I left everything out on the
court. That was the only thing that me and the team could ask for,”
Townsend said. “I really feel like matches like that are defining
moments and opportunities. You can either go up or go down.”
Townsend also was in the spotlight for a tense postmatch exchange of
words with Jelena Ostapenko after a singles match.
In the doubles semifinals, Townsend and Siniakova will meet the No.
4 seeds, Veronika Kudermetova and Elise Mertens. The other semifinal
matchup is No. 2 Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini against No. 3
Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe.
Kudermetova and Mertens won Wimbledon last month. Errani and Paolini
won the French Open in June.
___
AP Sports Writer Stephen Whyno contributed to this report.
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