Venus Williams to Play Doubles at Indian Wells
At age 45, Venus Williams has accepted a wildcard to compete in both singles and doubles at the upcoming Indian Wells tournament. She will partner with Leila Fernandez in what will be her first doubles appearance at the event since 2000, continuing her storied professional career.
This will be Venus Williams' 10th appearance at the Indian Wells tournament, where she has been a three-time singles semifinalist. Her relationship with the event has been complex; she and her sister Serena boycotted the tournament for 14 years following a controversial incident in 2001 where they were subjected to racist remarks from the crowd. Williams' return to doubles at Indian Wells is particularly noteworthy. Her last appearance in the doubles draw was in 2000, where she and her sister Serena reached the semifinals. This upcoming participation with Leylah Fernandez marks a significant return to the doubles competition at this event after more than two decades. A former world No. 1 in both singles and doubles, Williams has a storied doubles career that includes 14 Grand Slam titles, all won with her sister Serena. The duo is the only pair to be undefeated in Grand Slam doubles finals. Williams has also secured three Olympic gold medals in women's doubles. Her partner, Leylah Fernandez, has also been making a name for herself in the doubles circuit. In 2023, she reached the French Open doubles final with her partner Taylor Townsend. Fernandez achieved a career-high doubles ranking of world No. 17 in October 2023. This isn't the first time Williams and Fernandez have joined forces. The pair teamed up at the 2025 US Open, where they made a run to the quarterfinals as a wildcard team. Their upcoming partnership at Indian Wells will build upon that initial success.
