Leylah Fernandez and Venus Williams have played doubles together at two tournaments.
Fernandez and Williams partnered for the US Open last year, where they made it all the way to the quarter-finals.
The Canadian-American duo reunited at the Miami Open in March, but Fernandez and Williams were not so successful, as they lost in the first round.
Fernandez has recently been spotted with Williams’ former coach, and she has now spoken about what her relationship is like with the seven-time Grand Slam singles champion.
Leylah Fernandez says Venus Williams ‘always wants to support’ her
Fernandez won the Washington Open singles title last year, and spoke in her pre-tournament press conference ahead of her title defence.
In this press conference, Fernandez was asked about the time she has spent with Williams over the past year.
Fernandez responded by revealing that Williams and her team have been continually supportive to her since they partnered together at the US Open.
“It’s been super fun,” said Fernandez. “Venus has definitely a welcoming aura where she always wants to support and help as much as possible.
“I always see her or her husband or someone from her team sometimes watching my matches. At the end of my matches, they would send me a message either congratulating me or, like, telling me to keep my head up. That definitely helps in those tough moments, in those good moments to keep going because I know she’s gone through those wins and losses, and she’s always found a way to bounce back.
“So it motivates me. It encourages me, and it definitely kind of brings me back to why I play tennis. It’s more like I just want to enjoy my time on court, just the same way that she’s doing right now playing tennis and competing and winning matches. I always see her smiling, so it’s always nice.”
It’s the end of the 2026 season… How many matches has Venus Williams won this year? Where is she ranked? Let us know in the comments👇
Fernandez was then asked about what she has learnt about Williams that she did not know before teaming up with her.
The former US Open finalist revealed that Williams has a very calming nature on court, which Fernandez admitted she did not know until playing together.
“I mean, it’s tough, because I knew how competitive she was and how much she loves winning and hates losing,” answered Fernandez. “So, you know, I knew about that, and I knew, like, I was stressed, I was nervous.
“What I didn’t know is how good she was to calm me down. It was kind of just a simple question of, How are you, like just starting a conversation. She made it seem like it was just another day, another practice, going on court to play, to enjoy. Then during changeovers, it would be we wouldn’t talk too much tactic, but more intentions.
“So it was interesting to see, like, that mindset, that champion’s mindset, legend, where they don’t overthink too much, but they trust themselves enough to say, yeah, if I hit down the line with the right intention, the ball is going to go in. There’s no doubt about that. Even if they miss, the next one is going to go in.
“So it was pretty cool to experience that over the last year during the tournament, and then this year seeing her off court, it hasn’t changed. I’m pretty sure that’s how she was when she was younger, too, when she first started on tour. So it was fun.”
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Leylah Fernandez could play against Venus Williams at the Washington Open
Fernandez and Williams are both playing singles and doubles at the Washington Open this year, but they will not be playing alongside one another.
Instead, it will be Fernandez playing with Anna Danilina as the fourth seeds, while Williams partners Diana Shnaider after her planned team with Alexandra Eala did not work out.
There is also a big possibility that Fernandez and Williams could actually play against each other in doubles.
If both Fernandez and Danilina, and Williams and Shnaider win their first round matches then they will face off in the quarter-finals.
Before then, Fernandez has her first round singles match of her Washington Open title defence to focus on, as she takes on Magda Linette.
