Venus Williams' first Grand Slam tournament in two years concluded at the US Open on Tuesday, after she and Leylah Fernandez were defeated in the women's doubles quarterfinals. The pair lost to the top-seeded team of Taylor Townsend and Katerina Siniakova with a score of 6-1, 6-2. The match lasted 56 minutes and took place in Louis Armstrong Stadium.

Williams, 45, had previously exited in the first round of both the singles and mixed doubles competitions. She had been out of competition for 16 months before returning to play at a tournament in Washington in July. The 2025 US Open marked her first major tournament appearance since the 2023 US Open.

Williams and Fernandez, a 22-year-old from Canada and the 2021 singles runner-up in New York, received a wild-card entry from the U.S. Tennis Association. Before the quarterfinals, they had not lost a set in their first three matches as a team.

Townsend, currently ranked No. 1 in doubles, and Siniakova are an experienced duo, having won Wimbledon in 2024 and the Australian Open earlier this year. Siniakova has a total of 10 Grand Slam titles in women's doubles.

After the match, Williams smiled as she approached the net to shake hands with Siniakova and hug Townsend. The crowd gave Williams a standing ovation, and Townsend and Siniakova joined in applauding her. Townsend expressed her admiration for Williams and her sister Serena, calling them an inspiration to her and her sister and said it was an honor to share the court. Siniakova also called Williams "a legend" and said it was "a privilege" to play against her.

Before the match, Williams had jokingly called for her sister Serena to attend her quarterfinal match, saying that Serena had been giving her and Fernandez advice. Williams and Serena have won the US Open title twice, in 1999 and 2009, and have three Olympic gold medals together. Serena played her last professional match at the US Open in 2022.

Williams, known for her fashion sense, wore a different outfit for each appearance at the US Open, including a custom look by Khaite, a tribute to Althea Gibson, and a custom embellished look by Who Decides War.