Venus Williams is the latest and greatest superstar to weigh in on the overwhelming controversy of this year’s US Open.
As a leader and a pioneer for change within the sport, she is perfectly placed to deliver her verdict on Jelena Ostapenko’s comments about Taylor Townsend that came earlier this week.
There, the Latvian branded her American opponent ‘disrespectful’ and ‘uneducated’, sparking widespread furore given the racial undertones of her message.
She has since emerged to refute any relation to racism, but the nastiness of her comments remains relevant.
Venus Williams has now spoken about the matter.
Venus Williams weighs in on Jelena Ostapenko’s comments on Taylor Townsend
Asked about it following her latest doubles win with Leylah Fernandez, she admitted: “My thoughts about it, it was a lot of drama. It was a lot of drama.
“And I thought Taylor handled it amazing. I really did. I just thought with her as a mom, how she handled it, her son would be watching, her son is watching. She handled it with class, a situation that was not so classy. And just moved on and won again.
“So she’s handling it amazing, I’m rooting for her. She’s a wonderful person, great mom. And I hope she can keep going.”.
This came days after Venus Williams pinpointed the similarity she shares with Fernandez. Lofty praise from one of the greatest of all time.
Could Venus Williams win a third US Open doubles title?
Given how she and Fernandez have started their partnership together, it’d be crazy to bet against Venus going all the way again.
After all, she certainly has the pedigree, as a two-time US Open champion in the ladies’ doubles format.
Her first triumph came back in 1999, when she and Serena Williams defeated Chanda Rubin and Sandrine Testud in three hard-fought sets.
However, their second, ten years later, marked a routine victory in the final against the defending champions Cara Black and Liezel Huber.
Clearly a supremely proficient doubles player, despite what she might claim, there’s no reason to think that this 45-year-old superstar could not challenge for a third title in this format.
Especially alongside the youthful exuberance and talent of Fernandez, who is playing so well beside her legendary idol.
