“I hope Serena won’t be jealous”: Venus Williams teams up with Svitolina in Auckland doubles

Venus Williams and Elina Svitolina will join forces in the doubles draw at the ASB Classic Auckland, marking the seven-time Grand Slam champion’s return to the Australian swing. The American legend received a wildcard for her first of three tournaments in Oceania, with the Australian Open as her main objective.

The former world No. 1 has also been confirmed for next week’s Hobart Open and the Australian Open two weeks later, setting up a busy start to her 2026 season. For now, her appearance in Auckland is the only doubles event officially confirmed, but her partnership with Svitolina suggests she could be preparing for a potential wildcard at the Happy Slam — much like last year’s US Open, where she competed in singles, doubles and mixed doubles.

“I’m playing doubles with Elina Svitolina. We’ve always been opponents, but we’re finally on the same team. I hope Serena won’t be jealous,” the 45-year-old joked in a video shared by the tournament organisers. “It’s great to share the court with her. Playing with such a legend is a great privilege for me. I’ll try to do my best tomorrow for the win.”

The duo will face an intriguing pair of rising stars on Monday: 17-year-old Iva Jovic and 20-year-old Alexandra Eala. Remarkably, their combined age is still eight years younger than Williams alone.

Svitolina, now 31, is 14 years younger than Venus Williams and, despite being a seasoned player herself, faced the American several times when Williams was still a regular presence on tour. The Ukrainian leads their head-to-head 4–1. Their first meeting came at the 2015 Rome Open, where Williams defeated a then 20-year-old Svitolina in straight sets. Since then, Svitolina has claimed four consecutive straight-set wins, most recently in the first round of Wimbledon 2023.

“Well, it’s just like this. I didn’t expect it, but yeah, it’s great to share the court with such a legend,” Svitolina said in her press conference. “We played against each other a couple of times, but it’s nice to be with her and to learn more from her on the same side of the net.”

“It’s going to be a great experience for me and hopefully we can go and win tomorrow,” she added, before confirming there was no hesitation when the opportunity arose. “It’s such a privilege for me to share a court with her and to be there. I’ll try my best not to disappoint her.”

Monday’s match will mark Svitolina’s first competitive appearance since the 2025 US Open, the same as Williams. The Ukrainian struggled with physical issues late last season and was forced to end her year early, just as she was pushing for a return to the top 10. Currently ranked No. 13, Auckland offers her a valuable chance to pick up wins and ranking points.

As the top seed in the singles draw, Svitolina will also make her debut on Monday against Varvara Gracheva, while Williams is set to take to the main stadium later that evening to face fifth seed Magda Linette.