Venus Williams is going strong in the US Open women’s doubles. Having beaten Ekaterina Alexandrova and Zhang Shuai, alongside her partner, Leylah Fernandez, Williams has entered a Grand Slam quarterfinal for the first time since the 2017 Wimbledon. And it’s her first doubles Slam quarterfinal since 2016. But as she quenched the 9-year-old drought, Williams decided to send a clear message to her younger sister, Serena Williams.
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After winning the US Open women’s doubles round of 16 with a scoreline of 6-3, 6-4, Venus Williams made it abundantly clear that she wants her sister around. During the post-match interview, she said, “She’s [Serena Williams] given us advice, and we just need her in the box. So, my message is, Serena, you need to show up.” But while Serena hasn’t made an in-person appearance to support her elder sister yet, it’s not like Venus hasn’t felt the support of her and her family.
The crowds have been packed to see Venus and Leylah. But there's one person Venus wants to see at their next match 👇
During the post-match press conference, Venus stated, “Well, I just got a video of my nieces watching the name and yelling my name… So, I feel like I’m getting quality time with them still, even though I’m not there.” But the wishful thinking continued. “If she [Serena] came, it would be a dream for both of us. And we’d have her on the court coaching, we’d force her to hit, even though she doesn’t hit often.”
Well, that would certainly be a more than useful exercise. If not anything else, Fernandez would certainly benefit from it, considering how Venus thinks that she is as “focused and dialled-in” as the 23x Grand Slam champion. Serena herself will have a great time.
Serena Williams has drowned out the noise, but to what extent?
During a conversation on The Today Show, Serena Williams weighed in on the world batting for her comeback. She stated, “I don’t know if I get tired of it. I don’t really hear the noise or listen to it. I kind of mute out everything. I’ve gotten really good at muting out the noise. But you know what, it’s a sport that I’ve always loved.”
We have to agree that Serena Williams is an irreplaceable part of the tennis community. And just like we miss her on-court action, she misses her stance around the net as well. She admitted, “I do. I think there’s a part of me that will always miss tennis, because it was something you do for your entire life. From the day you remember, you always had a goal. Then one day you wake up, and that’s not your goal anymore, and it’s a huge change. I’ve had so many great times, and yeah, I can always take solace in that.”
But will she ever return? The answer to that is likely ‘no’. As a mother of two, she acknowledged that she has evolved away from the world of tennis. But we can certainly keep on hoping for her appearance sometime in a future exhibition match. Until then, follow EssentiallySports Live Blog for more updates from Flushing Meadows!
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