Serena Williams is cementing her reputation as the ultimate protective sibling. The tennis legend, who hung up her racket in 2022, was a vigilant spectator as her sister Venus Williams paired up with Leylah Fernandez for the women's doubles draw at the 2025 U.S. Open on August 30. Her reaction to Venus' new doubles teammate was nothing short of hilarious.
A TikTok video posted on August 31 captured the 43-year-old Serena filming Venus, 45, and the 22-year-old Leylah in action during their match. She then turned the camera on herself, playfully rolling her eyes with a hint of sarcasm. Seconds later, she feigned a forced smile, her eyes darting from side to side with amusement.
Captioning the post, Serena wrote, "When you catch a glimpse of your sister @Venus Williams with her new doubles partner @leylahanniefernandez and you pretend to be thrilled she's crushing it with someone else." Despite the teasing tone, Serena, who has claimed 14 women's doubles titles alongside Venus, has consistently demonstrated her unwavering support for her sibling. In fact, just days prior, on August 26, she posted a heartfelt tribute to Venus after her singles defeat to Karolína Muchová on Instagram.
"Strength, courage, determination, class, perseverance, inspiration… the list goes on and on. There aren't enough words to articulate how incredibly proud I am of you, @VenusWilliams," she penned. "P.S. I aspire to be just like you."
Venus, too, has always stood firmly by Serena's side. "She's been my role model," Venus revealed to E! News in September 2022. "Nobody understands what I'm going through quite like she does. She knows me inside out without saying a word. Having a sibling in sports is unusual, but it's the only experience I know, so I can't fathom doing it without one."
Venus emphasized the uniqueness of their shared journey. "From what I gather, 99% of athletes forge ahead alone," she continued. "But I've never had to."
