Venus Williams arrived at the Washington Open with a surprise partner swap in tow. The multi-time Grand Slam champion had been confirmed to play doubles alongside Alexandra Eala, but the pairing was called off just days before the tournament began. Williams will instead compete alongside Diana Shnaider, while Eala will not participate in the doubles draw at all.
The Williams-Eala partnership had shown real promise earlier this season at Bad Homburg, where the two advanced to the quarterfinals before falling to Tereza Mihalikova and Olivia Nicholls. Williams was candid about the change at her pre-tournament press conference, saying the partnership simply "didn't work out this time" while leaving the door open for future collaboration. She noted they had a great experience in Germany and would love to find future opportunities together.
Both players have kept busy in doubles throughout 2025, each pairing with a wide range of WTA talent. Eala has teamed with Janice Tjen, Iva Jovic, and Nikola Bartunkova, while Williams has shared the court with Elina Svitolina, Katie Boulter, and Leylah Fernandez among others.
On the singles side, both face steep challenges in the first round. Eala draws Olympic gold medalist and former Grand Slam finalist Qinwen Zheng, who enters on a wildcard despite currently sitting outside the top 100 due to injury troubles. Williams faces Anastasia Potapova, who has enjoyed a strong 2025 campaign highlighted by a final appearance in Linz and a semifinal run in Madrid, plus round-of-16 finishes at the Italian Open and Roland Garros.
For Williams, a win would be especially meaningful given that her last singles victory came at this very tournament a year ago. TennisDraw users tracking her first-round chances will find this one a genuinely compelling pick either way.
