Venus has played doubles at six French Opens. Her partner before has always been her sister Serena Williams, however, now for the first time she will have Coco Gauff as her partner. Venus is a veteran aged 40, whereas Gauff is the teenage sensation of only 17-year-old everybody is talking about.
Interestingly, when Serena and Venus won their first French Open doubles title in 1999, Gauff wasn’t even born. And when they won their second French Open title in 2010, Gauff was just six years old. The young star has now come a long way on the tour at a relatively young age.
In the draw, Venus Williams and Coco Gauff are set to face 13th seeds Ellen Perez and Zheng Saisai. The other notable players in the doubles draw are, Iga Swiatek, Ashleigh Barty, Jennifer Brady, Sofia Kenin, etc.
Gauff is a young talent who has been rising the ranks constantly whereas Venus has seen a decline and is currently outside the top 100.
The two-time U.S. Open winner Venus is currently on a five-match losing streak and has not won on clay for two years.
Gauff recently picked up her second career title at WTA Parma Open 2021. She showed her great prowess on clay at the Italian Open as well where she reached the semifinals.
The passing of the baton from Venus to Gauff might have happened when the two had met at Wimbledon Championships 2019. Gauff was playing her first Grand Slam match and defeated Venus in straight sets. Moreover, they met again at Australian Open 2020, where Gauff again triumphed. It will surely be a spectacle to watch the two Americans fight side by side, thus having a perfect blend of experience and youth.
