Venus Williams Plans to Keep Playing After US Open Doubles Run Ends

Venus Williams said on Tuesday that she intends to continue her tennis career following her exit from the US Open women’s doubles alongside partner Leylah Fernandez.

The 45-year-old tennis legend and Fernandez had their doubles campaign cut short in the quarterfinals, suffering a 6-1 6-2 defeat against top seeds Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend.

Williams, who made her return to tennis in July after being away for 16 months, said she was satisfied with her performances in New York and that she plans to keep playing as long as opportunities allow.

“If there is opportunity for me to play, then hopefully I can get back somewhere this year,” said Williams, who got wild cards into the singles, doubles, and mixed doubles draws at the US Open.

Williams, 45, and her 22-year-old teammate had previously knocked out two seeded teams on their way to the quarterfinals and had not lost a set throughout the tournament.

However, Townsend and Siniakova, who have secured two Grand Slam titles together, proved to be too formidable for the American-Canadian wild card team, finishing the match in just 57 minutes.

Following her first-round exit in singles, Williams seemed emotional, but she was all smiles as she received a standing ovation from the audience.

When asked if her recent comeback performances had rekindled her passion for tennis, she responded, “I have always been in love with the game.”

“I never had to think about if I loved the game. I was always playing, so it’s part of my DNA. But clearly to be out here grinding at this point, there has to be a little love, right?” she added.

Townsend and Siniakova, who have yet to drop a set in the tournament, will compete against the fourth seeds, Veronika Kudermetova and Elise Mertens, for a place in the finals.