Venus Williams to Play French Open Doubles with Baptiste

Venus Williams, the 45-year-old seven-time Grand Slam singles champion, will return to the French Open for the first time since 2021, partnering with 24-year-old American Hailey Baptiste in the women's doubles draw. The pair earned direct entry based on their combined rankings, without needing a wildcard, for the tournament running from May 24 to June 7 at Roland Garros in Paris.

Williams, a former world No. 1 in both singles and doubles, will not compete in singles unless organizers grant a late wildcard. Tournament officials confirmed the doubles entry on Wednesday. This marks Williams's latest competitive appearance after a year of selective comebacks, including a wildcard into the Australian Open in January, where she became the oldest woman to play a main-draw singles match. She lost in the first round but praised the experience afterward. "It was such a great game, such a great moment. The energy from the crowd was amazing," Williams said.

Baptiste brings strong recent form to the partnership. The American reached the semifinals of the Mutua Madrid Open, defeating world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka after saving six match points, and advanced to the third round in Rome. She peaked...