(Reuters) – Venus Williams will team up with teenager Coco Gauff – less than half her age – for a tilt at the French Open doubles title, with the American duo set to take on 13th seeds Ellen Perez and Zheng Saisai in the opening round on Wednesday.
Gauff, 17, burst onto the scene in 2019 when she knocked out her idol Williams in the opening round at Wimbledon before claiming another upset win over the 40-year-old, seven-time Grand Slam champion at last year’s Australian Open.
Williams has previously won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles, all with her younger sister Serena who is chasing a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam singles title in Paris.
Gauff has won three doubles titles in her career to add to her two singles crowns.
The pair are also in singles action with Gauff scheduled to take on Aleksandra Krunic in the first round on Tuesday while Williams faces 32nd seed Ekaterina Alexandrova.
(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Hugh Lawson)