Share

Venus Williams to play mixed doubles

Rio de Janeiro - Venus Williams' Olympics isn't over yet: The four-time gold medalist will play mixed doubles with American team-mate Rajeev Ram.

Williams was not originally expected to enter the event but lost in the first round in both singles and doubles, teaming with sister Serena.

As expected, the biggest-name team announced on Tuesday was 14-time major champion Rafael Nadal paired with French Open winner Garbine Muguruza. The Spaniards are seeded third.

The most anticipated team before the Olympics - Switzerland's Martina Hingis and Roger Federer - didn't happen when Federer withdrew because of a knee injury.

Another top women's player who lost in the first round, Agnieszka Radwanska, will also get an additional shot at an Olympic run. She'll play with Lukasz Kubot for Poland.

The top two seeded teams are from France: Caroline Garcia-Nicolas Mahut and Kristina Mladenovic-Pierre-Hugues Herbert. Mahut and Herbert were seeded No 1 in men's doubles but lost in the first round.

Mladenovic and Herbert face Italy's Roberta Vinci and Fabio Fognini in the opening round. Fourth-seeded Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna of India meet Australia's Sam Stosur and John Peers.

Other notable pairings in the 16-team field are Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro and David Ferrer, Britain's Johanna Konta and Jamie Murray, and Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Jack Sock of the United States.

The 32-year-old Ram is coming off a semifinal appearance at Wimbledon in men's doubles.

Mixed doubles play begins on Wednesday.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
loading... Live
Lions 0
Titans RSA 107/7
Voting Booth
Should the Proteas pick Faf du Plessis for the T20 World Cup in West Indies and the United States in June?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Faf still has a lot to give ...
58% - 7 votes
No! It's time to move on ...
42% - 5 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE