"Ash Barty would be great" - Venus Williams discusses dream doubles partners

Venus Williams named Ashleigh Barty as a player she would have enjoyed playing doubles with, but admits it is hard to find a better partner than her sister Serena Williams.

Barty and Venus' careers have been similar in many ways. Both are multiple-time Grand Slam champions and former world No. 1s, and they have thrilled millions of fans worldwide with their exciting brands of tennis.

The primary difference between the two is the longevity of their careers. Barty stunned the tennis world by retiring at the age of 25 earlier this year, while Venus continues to compete at the age of 42.

Venus and sister Serena are one of the most successful doubles teams ever. They won 14 Grand Slam titles together and never lost a major final. The legendary duo also secured three Olympic gold medals.

Their last doubles match together was a first-round defeat at the US Open after they were given a wild card. That was followed a few days later by Serena bidding farewell to tennis after a third-round loss to Ajla Tomljanovic.

During an interview, Venus named two other players besides Serena with whom she would like to play doubles: Barty and the iconic Althea Gibson, an American player of color who had success in the 1950s.

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Gibson remains an inspiration to this day after winning five Grand Slams, including two Wimbledon titles, at a time when there were very few visible black players in the men's or women's games.

It is a shame Venus never got to play alongside Barty before she retired. They almost certainly would have been a formidable team had they competed together.

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