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Serena Williams and Venus Williams hit the practice court together once again, this time in Toronto, ahead of the Canadian Open that begins on Monday. The duo practiced on Friday on Center Court ahead of the first tournament in over a year to feature both the Williams sisters as part of the singles event, much to the delight and excitement of the tennis fan community.
They were joined by Jarmere Jenkins, who is Serena Williams' hitting partner. The younger of the Williams sisters was up against both Jenkins and Venus, who threw groundstrokes at her from the other side of the court.
Last week, the Williams sisters practiced together in Washington DC, ahead of the Citi Open. Venus Williams played in the Citi Open but lost 6-4, 1-6, 4-6 to Rebecca Marino in the Round of 32.
Meanwhile, the two greats seemed to be hitting the ball cleanly and with great intensity during Friday's practice in Toronto, and fans were thrilled, to say the least, to catch a glimpse of their training session.
"I'm living for these sister practices. Seeing both Williams on the court with no pressure just sits right with me," a fan wrote on Twitter, reacting to a video posted by the Canadian Open.
Both players did not play a WTA tournament this year until the Wimbledon Championships. While Serena played in the singles event, Venus played in the mixed doubles with Jamie Murray. Venus's best result at the Canadian Open came in 2014 when she reached the final. Serena, on the other hand, has won the tournament thrice, with her last title coming in 2013.
Meanwhile, Serena Williams was certainly up against it during the 2-on-1 practice session on Friday.
"Those are 2 on 1s. Serena is taking it, we haven’t seen this in over 2 years," another fan said in reaction to their Toronto practice session.
Here are a few more reactions to the Williams sisters practicing together ahead of the 2022 Canadian Open:
How are Venus and Serena Williams placed in 2022 Canadian Open draw?
Serena Williams will open her Canadian Open campaign against a qualifier. If she makes it through that match, she will then face either Belinda Bencic or Victoria Azarenka in the Round of 32. Naomi Osaka, Garbine Muguruza, Iga Swiatek, and Leylah Fernandez also lie in the same quarter of the draw as her, making it a star-studded section.
Meanwhile, Venus Williams plays Switzerland's Jill Teichmann in the first round with a possible second-round clash against World No. 2 Annet Kontaveit. If she makes it through, she could face Simona Halep in the Round of 16. Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka are among the other top contenders in her quarter of the draw.
The Williams sisters are also set to play in the Cincinnati Open ahead of the US Open, which begins on August 29. The duo last played in the Grand Slam tournament back in 2020.
Venus Williams and Father Richard recall one match that 7-time Grand Slam champion "should have won"
