"I only play doubles with this one" - Venus on playing doubles with sister Serena

During a Q&A with fans on social media, Venus Williams has revealed that she is willing to play professional doubles again, but that she will only do so if it is alongside her younger sister, Serena.

Serena Williams announced she was 'evolving' away from the sport back in August, sparking a farewell tour across the hard-court swing in North America. It culminated in an emotional final goodbye in front of an adoring home crowd in New York.

However, there has been some speculation about whether Serena might return to the court in a professional capacity, given that she has never officially said she is retired.

7-time Grand Slam champion, Venus Williams, has added further fuel to this speculation by suggesting she would play doubles alongside her sister, if she chose to return.

When asked about her ideal mixed doubles partner, Williams responded by posting a picture of her sister Serena, with the caption, "I only play doubles with this one. So unless she’s coming back...".

Venus has 14 Grand Slam women's doubles titles to her name, all with her sister Serena. She also won three Olympic gold medals in women's doubles — an all-time joint record shared with her Serena.

Venus also gave advice to a fan who asked her how to maintain motivation for the game.

"First get to the root of the problem. What is making you lose motivation? What can you modify to gain it back? Do you need to pace yourself or create more breaks? Do you need a total change of direction? Complete honesty will be a must," the 42-year old said.

Another fan asked about fitness, to which Williams replied, "I like the side to side drill, where you hit one corner and you alternate running from side to side in the rally. It’s a killer. And you will be in shape fast," she wrote.