"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 US Open."
"Williams and Fernandez, a 22-year-old from Canada who was the 2021 singles runner-up in New York, 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. 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."
Venus Williams and Leylah Fernandez lost in the US Open women's doubles quarterfinals to top-seeded Taylor Townsend and Katerina Siniakova 6-1, 6-2. The match lasted 56 minutes and concluded with a standing ovation for Williams, who embraced opponents at the net. Williams had earlier lost in the first round of singles and exited mixed doubles; she returned to competition after a 16-month layoff and last played a major at the 2023 US Open. Williams and Fernandez entered with a USTA wild card and had not dropped a set in their first three matches. Townsend and Siniakova are an accomplished pairing with multiple Grand Slam doubles titles.
Read at ESPN.com
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