Venus Williams Withdraws from French Open Women's Doubles with Hailey Baptiste

Venus Williams, the seven-time major singles winner, has withdrawn from the women's doubles at the French Open alongside her partner Hailey Baptiste. The announcement was made on Thursday, May 28, 2026, but the organizers did not provide a reason for their withdrawal. This decision comes after Baptiste was forced to retire from her second-round singles match against Wang Xiyu on Wednesday, May 27, 2026, due to an injury. Baptiste landed awkwardly on her left leg late in the first set, which led to her retirement from the match.

Venus Williams, who is set to turn 46 next month, has had a remarkable career in tennis. She previously held the No. 1 ranking in both singles and doubles and has won numerous titles, including seven major singles championships. Williams has also had success in the French Open, winning the doubles title twice with her younger sister Serena in 1999 and 2010. However, she lost the French Open singles final to Serena in 2002. Williams was also a singles wild-card entry at the Australian Open, where she became the oldest woman to compete in the Australian Open singles main draw, although she lost in the first round.