Venus Williams Hails Will Smith’s Seriousness After Crashing Out of US Open Doubles Quarterfinals

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Vivek Devane | Last updated Sep 3, 2025 6:28 AM ET

Venus Williams may have bowed out in the opening round of singles at this year’s US Open , but the tennis icon still managed to leave her mark on the tournament. Despite falling to Karolina Muchova in a hard-fought three-set battle, Williams showcased her trademark grit and entertained fans with a high-quality performance against one of the tour’s top players.

It was in doubles, however, where Williams truly lit up the New York crowd. Teaming up with Canadian star Leylah Fernandez, the duo produced an inspired run to the quarterfinals. Their campaign ended at the hands of top seeds Taylor Townsend and Katerina Siniakova, but not before Williams once again reminded the tennis world of her enduring passion and competitive spirit.

The No. 1 women's doubles pair Taylor Towsend and Katerina Siniakova defeat Leylah Fernandez and Venus Williams at the US Open

An amazing run for Venus and Leylah pic.twitter.com/jxc4BPxsqq
— ESPN (@espn) September 2, 2025

Following her doubles exit, Williams took a lighter detour during her press conference when a reporter brought up the classic sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Laughing, she quipped: “DVDs? I don’t know what he’s talking about. He’s older than me.”

Williams went on to reveal that she didn’t get the chance to watch the show until later in life. “We were always on the court practicing. My dad only let us watch educational programs growing up, so never really got to see the Fresh Prince until I grew up. So it was like major for me as like a 20-year-old to watch that. But it never gets old,” said Williams.

The seven-time Grand Slam champion then pivoted to praising actor Will Smith, who famously portrayed her father and coach, Richard Williams, in the Oscar-winning film King Richard.

“Will Smith is a legend, and the fact that he did such an honor to play my dad—and he took it, you can't understand how seriously he took it," said Venus Williams. "He really put his whole life into it, and he got rewarded for it too, and in turn, we all got rewarded for it. I have so much respect for him.”

For Venus Williams, her legacy is already secure. However, honoring her father Richard Williams was an important goal for her and Serena Williams and, Will Smith couldn’t have done a better job at portraying him in King Richard .

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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