Serena Williams' dog Chip at U.S. Open as tennis great mourns loss of another

Aug. 28 (UPI) -- Tennis star Serena Williams' Yorkshire terrier, named Christopher "Chip" Rafael Nadal, is accompanying her to the U.S. Open in the wake of the death of another of her dogs, Lauerlei.

Chip, named for Spanish tennis great Rafael Nadal, has his own Instagram account with more than 13,000 followers.

On Saturday, he could be seen courtside as Williams practiced at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. The tournament starts Monday.

Williams announced Saturday that her dog Lauerlei has died.

She shared photos of the dog, which lived for 18 years, as she celebrated her "long long life" in a post shared to Instagram.

"Lauerlei sadly took her last breath yesterday. I am sad but happy for all the time and all the extra time I got to spend with her," Williams wrote, adding that "the last year and a half was a bonus."

Williams said Lauerlei "got to get anything she ever wanted and was biting toes till the end. Literally."

"She LOVED chicken and acrobatics," she wrote. "She was the smallest yet toughest little pup and I will miss her ... so much."

Williams, 40, who has won 23 Grand Slam singles titles in her 27-year career, announced earlier this month that she plans to "move on from playing" after the U.S. Open.

Williams married Alexis Ohanian in 2017 and the couple welcomed daughter Alexis Olympia, 4, that same year. Williams famously won the 2017 Australian Open while two months pregnant.