That headline-grabbing pair of tennis players — Gauff, 15, is the youngest woman in the Australian Open; Venus is the oldest — will face each other again in the first round of a Grand Slam tournament after Thursday's draw at Melbourne Park put them in a tough quarter that also includes Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka.
Gauff had a breakout run at Wimbledon last year, when she became the youngest qualifier in tournament history, upset Venus Williams to start her main draw run and became the youngest player to reach the round of 16 there since Martina Hingis in 1996.
The winner of Coco vs. Venus could meet defending champion Osaka in the third round. The winner there potentially faces Venus' younger sister, 23-time major winner Serena, in the quarterfinals.
Serena Williams is coming off a triumph in the ASB Classic in Auckland, her first title since her victory at the 2017 Australian Open and her time off the tour to have her daughter. She is seeded eighth in Melbourne and will meet Anastasia Potapova in the first round. Osaka opens versus Marie Bouzkova.
The so-called Big Three of men's tennis joined other stars, including Serena Williams, Osaka and Gauff, at the Rally for Relief on Wednesday night, an exhibition event that raised millions of dollars for relief efforts for the wildfires that have devastated parts of Australia, leaving at least 27 people and millions of animals dead. Smoke from the bush fires had the air quality in Melbourne ranked among the worst in the world earlier in the week.
On the court, Gauff looked comfortable and relaxed in the company of champions.
Osaka, speaking before the draw was revealed, said she didn't like to look at who she was playing until the day before her match. She joked in a TV broadcast that she'd leave the studio if she was forced to watch the draw.
Serena Williams is targeting to equal the all-time record for most women's majors, held by Australia's Margaret Court.
After her drought-breaking run to a 73rd career singles title in Auckland, Williams will again be among the favorites at Melbourne Park, where she has won the title seven times dating back to 2003.
