They’re friends, they’re former World No 1s in singles and on Monday they became doubles partners for the first time as Serena Williams and Caroline Wozniacki teamed to win a first round match at the ASB Classic in Auckland.
Williams and Wozniacki overwhelmed Japan’s Nao Hibino and Mikoto Ninomiya 6-2, 6-4 in a match which was both historic and poignant.
Serena hasn’t played doubles with anyone other than Venus since 2015 and last played a WTA tournament with anyone other than Venus in 2002.
Wozniacki hasn’t played doubles at all in the last three years.
But the pair have long harbored a desire to take the court as a doubles pairing and on Monday they took what may be their last opportunity to do so.
Wozniacki is playing the Auckland tournament for the sixth-straight year as a prelude to the Australian Open after which she will retire from competitive tennis.
Wozniacki and Williams will face each other one last time in an exhibition match in Copehagen in May which will be Wozniacki’s tennis farewell.
On Monday the pair formed a relaxed and intuitive combination, laughing and exchanging high-fives as they swept past Hibino and Ninomiya in 70 minutes.
Earlier, American teenager Coco Gauff beat Slovakia's Viktoria Kuzmova 6-3, 6-1 in 61 minutes to stay on course for a quarterfinal meeting with Williams.
Williams, the top seed, plays Camilia Giorgi of Italy in her first round singles today while Wozniacki plays New Zealand wildcard Paige Hourigan.