5 women's players who have partnered with Serena Williams on tour ft. Venus Williams and Caroline Wozniacki
Serena Williams' comeback news has given tennis fans plenty to look forward to in the coming weeks. The 23-time Grand Slam champion is scheduled to play her first tournament in 12 months at the Eastbourne International.
Williams has been awarded wildcards in both the singles and doubles draw. She will partner Tunisia's Ons Jabeur at the WTA 500 event — which is scheduled to begin on June 18.
Jabeur joins an exclusive list of players who have shared the court with Serena Williams. Here, we have listed the five women's players to have partnered with the American:
#1 Alison Riske
Williams has delivered several memorable wins for the Americans at the Billie Jean King Cup in singles over the years. She has, however, also played in a handful of doubles rubbers.
The 23-time Grand Slam champion partnered countrywoman Alison Riske in one of the matches. Playing against Sara Errani and Flavia Penetta, the American duo lost the encounter and the tie.
#2 Martina Navratilova
Williams had only just broken onto the big stage when she partnered with Martina Navratilova, who had already cemented her status as one of the sport's legends, in 2002. The two — who have a total of 41 Grand Slam singles titles between them — played in Tokyo, winning their debut match, only to lose in the next round.
#3 Caroline Wozniacki
Williams shared the doubles court with close friend Caroline Wozniacki during one of the Dane's last tour appearances — the 2020 ASB Classic.
Wozniacki announced her decision to retire after the 2020 Australian Open, where she was the defending champion. Williams became a natural choice for the former World No. 1 to play alongside during her farewell tour. The champion duo punched above their weight to oust higher-ranked teams en route to the final, before going down to Asia Muhammad and Taylor Townsend
#4 Alexandra Stevenson
Williams also formed a brief but successful partnership with another American in the form of former World No. 18 Alexandra Stevenson. The duo played together at the 2002 Sparkassen Cup in Germany, racing to the title for the loss of just one set.
The win was significant for both players as it was part of Williams' wildly successful 2002 season, while also being the only career title that Stevenson won on the doubles circuit. The duo squared off as opponents, but did not share the court as partners again.
#5 Venus Williams
Serena Williams' success on the singles court far outshine her doubles exploits, but the American's aptitude for the latter discipline is no less impressive. Williams has a total of 14 doubles Grand Slam titles from as many finals. A common thread in all of her triumphs: her sister Venus Williams.
The Williams sisters shared a prolific doubles partnership, which began in the late 1990s. The duo lifted their first doubles Grand Slam crown at the 1999 French Open, a title they would once again win 12 years later. The sisters also added six Wimbledon doubles trophies to their cabinet, four at the Australian Open, two at the US Open, as well as three Olympic doubles gold medals.
While much of the conversation surrounding the champion duo continues to focus on their trailblazing singles career, there is no denying the fact that the sisters also came together to form one of the most dominant doubles teams the sport has ever seen.