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Venus Williams (left) speaks with Leylah Annie Fernandez during a courtside moment ahead of their renewed doubles partnership. The two players are teaming up again at the BNP Paribas Open, following their quarterfinal run at the 2025 US Open. Fernandez, a Canadian player with Filipino heritage through her mother, forms a cross-generational pairing with the seven-time Grand Slam champion. – Source: Tennis Canada.
Canadian star Leylah Annie Fernandez, who traces part of her heritage to the Philippines, and seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams revive their cross-generational partnership at the BNP Paribas Open following a quarterfinal run at the U.S. Open.
INDIAN WELLS, California — A doubles partnership that drew attention during last year’s U.S. Open is returning to the court as Leylah Annie Fernandez and Venus Williams team up again at the BNP Paribas Open in Southern California.
Tournament organizers confirmed that Williams received a main-draw wild card entry into the tournament in both singles and doubles, allowing the veteran American to compete alongside Fernandez in the women’s doubles draw.
The reunion follows the pair’s quarterfinal run at the 2025 U.S. Open, where their partnership attracted attention for combining Williams’ experience with Fernandez’s speed and baseline consistency.
A cross-generational pairing
Fernandez, one of Canada’s leading players on the Women’s Tennis Association, first gained international recognition during her run to the 2021 U.S. Open singles final.
The 23-year-old also carries Filipino heritage through her mother, Irene Exevea, who was born in the Philippines before later settling in Canada. Fernandez has spoken about how her multicultural background, including Filipino and Ecuadorian roots, has shaped her career and family support system.
Williams, meanwhile, remains among the most accomplished players in tennis history. The former world No. 1 owns seven Grand Slam singles titles and has been a defining figure in the sport for nearly three decades.
Return to Indian Wells
The BNP Paribas Open, held annually at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, is one of the most prominent tournaments outside the four Grand Slams and forms part of the sport’s “Sunshine Double,” followed by the Miami Open.
Williams has reached the singles semifinals three times at Indian Wells during her career.
For Fernandez, the reunion provides another opportunity to build momentum in doubles while competing alongside one of tennis’ most influential figures.
Whether the pair can replicate their deep run at the U.S. Open remains uncertain. But their return ensures that one of the tour’s most intriguing partnerships, linking a rising player with Filipino roots and a legendary champion, will again take the court in the California desert.
