Serena Williams Rolls Eyes as Venus Teams With Leylah Fernandez at US Open 2025

On Aug. 30, 2025, Venus Williams entered the U.S. Open women’s doubles draw with Leylah Fernandez, and Serena Williams made sure the world knew exactly how she felt about that line change on TikTok the very next day.

Hi, I’m Avery Sinclair. Cute headline, right? Now for the reality check: Serena didn’t slam anyone, but she did what any self-aware icon with a sense of humor would do. She filmed Venus and Leylah on court, flipped her camera, rolled her eyes like a pro, and flashed a smile that read I’m fine, everything’s fine. Translation: big-sister energy meets retired-legend sarcasm. Sure, nothing to see here, except a decades-long doubles dynasty getting a little shakeup.

Let’s lay out the receipts. Serena, 43, posted the clip on Aug. 31 with the caption, “When you see your sister @Venus Williams has a new doubles partner @leylahanniefernandez, and you are really happy she’s winning with someone else.” The joke lands because the stats back it up. Serena and Venus have 14 women’s doubles Grand Slam titles together, a number that is basically a scoreboard-sized mic drop in the tennis world. So when Venus, 45, steps onto a major court with 22-year-old Fernandez, of course the internet checks in on Serena’s face. And sure enough, she gave it to us on her own channel. Consider that corroborated by Serena’s TikTok post and coverage by E! News that captured the moment and its very pointed caption.

Before anyone calls this a feud, pump the brakes. Serena already posted a heartfelt Instagram message on Aug. 26 after Venus fell to Karolina Muchova in singles, celebrating her sister’s “strength, courage, determination, class, perseverance, inspiration” and finishing with a humble kicker: “P.S. I hope to be like you.” Those are not the words of a rival, they’re the words of a lifelong doubles partner who still knows when to serve up a little comedy with her support. That IG tribute is on the record and widely noted, which neatly balances the TikTok side-eye we all enjoyed.

For context, Venus has been consistent about how central the sister bond is to her career. In a 2022 E! News interview, she called Serena her role model and said no one understands her the way her sister does. She also pointed out how unusual it is to have a sibling in elite sports, adding that most athletes go it alone. So yes, Venus picking a new partner for New York this year is a strategic choice, not a family civil war. Fernandez is fast, fearless, and has the receipts of her own, including a prior U.S. Open singles final appearance. If you are Venus Williams and your name is etched into tennis history, you get to mix it up when the draw calls for it.

Serena’s retirement in 2022 did not retire her sense of timing. The TikTok landed the morning after the match, which is classic Serena: seize the narrative, wink at the audience, and move on. It is also a subtle reminder that while she might be off the tour, she is still courtside, still watching, and still the unofficial chief of Team Williams optics. The family brand has always blended dominance and deadpan, and this was textbook.

Let’s be real. The story here is not scandal, it is evolution. Venus is testing chemistry with Fernandez at a Grand Slam, and Serena is giving you a viral reaction that doubles as a supportive nudge. Factor in that 14-title history and the dates on both posts, and the math is simple. The Williamses are still running the conversation, even when someone else is hitting the returns.

What matters next is how far Venus and Leylah go in the draw. If they click, expect more courtside cameos from Serena and more wry commentary crafted for the algorithm. If they run into a wall, cue the reunion speculation that never dies. Either way, the receipts are public, the quotes are logged, and the sibling storyline is still the most watchable subplot in tennis. Keep an eye on the U.S. Open schedule and Serena’s feeds. If there is an encore to that eye roll, it will drop right on time. And no, no one’s shocked. We are just refreshed to see elite performance and elite trolling coexist in perfect harmony.

That’s the whole point of the Williams legacy at this stage: they bring the wins, they bring the wit, and they do it on their own terms. Consider this the latest chapter. The matchup is on court, the commentary is online, and the punchline, as usual, belongs to Serena. Nothing shocking here, just a master class in message control disguised as a playful sister check-in. Now, back to the doubles scoreboard, where the only reaction that really counts is the one in the win column. And if you are waiting for drama, prepare to keep waiting. The only rally here is happening inside the lines.

So yes, Serena rolled her eyes. The internet screamed. Then everyone remembered they are the Williams sisters, and the only tradition stronger than their trophy count is their ability to keep us watching. Next serve incoming.

Sources: Celebrity Storm and E! News, Serena Williams TikTok, Serena Williams Instagram, U.S. Open
Generated by AI