14 Grand Slam doubles titles and 3 Olympic gold medals—these are achievements that few deem probable even in their wildest dreams. I’d wager Venus Williams’ doubles partner at the US Open, Leylah Fernandez, is no exception. But then again, how many can even think of even being compared to the 23x Grand Slam champion, and that too, by her sister? Yet, the Canadian seems to be living the dream.

Speaking at the post-match interview after she and Fernandez won against Lyudmyla Kichenok and Ellen Perez in a two-set battle that amounted to 7-6 (4), 6-3, Williams was asked to share her thoughts on her 22-year-old doubles partner, whom she personally asked to join her for this tournament, and let’s just say, Williams had some seriously high praise. “I never really played with a partner outside of Serena, obviously, who had that kind of mentality. So it was really fun.” Williams said of her and Fernandez being  equally determined and “focused and dialled in on every single thing.” And the adulation began even earlier, on the court!

“She’s the best partner I ever played with besides Serena. We play the same style. I’m just a little bit bigger.” Williams said moments after their impressive win, and didn’t miss the opportunity to joke about their height difference. Williams stands at an impressive 1.85m, while Fernandez is a more petite 1.68m. In response to Williams’ praise, a gushing Leyla Fernandez, who also compared Williams asking her to be her doubles partner to being like a kid on Christmas morning, said, “It’s probably the biggest compliment I’ve ever gotten.” Of course, Williams did more than just compliment her as she dropped some pearls of wisdom to help the young Canadian navigate a tricky situation in the match.

Fernandez found herself in a daze in the first set. “I have no idea what I was thinking during that tiebreak,” the DC Open winner confessed as she sat next to Williams in the press conference. And as she chose to just trust her instinct, Venus Williams had a simple tip for her. “‘Play it as if it was a singles match,’” she recalled her saying. And Fernandez listened. Because when Venus Williams says something, that’s what you do. “So, I just didn’t want to think too much on put the ball in a certain spot to help my partner.” 

Of course, the final scoreline is proof enough that it all worked out, sending the duo into round two. Only time will tell if this year’s US Open doubles is when Williams finally manages to record a deep run since her comeback. But whatever the on-court result, her chemistry with Fernandez is further proof that even without Serena, she can have fun on the doubles court. And part of that fun involves taking digs at the 23x Grand Slam champion. Because that is what sisters do.

When Venus Williams blamed Serena for being “in the way”

A day before recording her first singles victory in over two years, Venus Williams recorded her first doubles win post the hiatus as she took the court alongside Hailey Baptiste in the R16 of the DC Open. And while the two fell in the quarter-finals, that 6-3, 6-1 victory over Eugenie Bouchard and Clervie Ngounoue was enough for Williams to declare that she had chosen a good partner for herself. It was also an opportunity to pull her sister’s leg.

“I think, from the first point, I could see that we were going to be a good team,” Williams said in the on-court interview that followed the match. “We just should have started playing earlier, years ago, right? I think Serena was just in the way,” she added. But that was far from the end of it. While leaving the facilities with her team, the older Williams took to her Instagram stories to send a warning. “Hey! I’m just leaving the DC Open after playing my first match in a year, after surgery. Hailey Baptiste is my new doubles partner. Watch out, Serena.”

Of course, the only reason Serena needs to watch out is if she plans to make a comeback like her sister. Could she? After all, she did express her dislike for the word ‘retirement’. The recent video of her hits on the court also added to the speculation. But even then, it seems too far-fetched, with Serena herself claiming that she has become very good at shutting out the noise. And in case she does, Venus has assured, “she’ll let y’all know.” For now, Venus has her upcoming doubles match against Ulrikke Eikeri and Eri Hozumi. Don’t want to miss a moment? Head to EssentiallySports’ Live Blog of the US Open.