The American tennis stars announced they would be teaming up for the French Open last week. They lost to number 13 seeds Ellen Perez and Zheng Saisai in the first round of the Grand Slam.Footage of the pair has been shared by the Women’s Tennis Association on Twitter. The short clip shows Williams celebrating a victory in the opening and running over to Gauff to give her a fist bump. Fans have reacted to the post in delight, with one writing: “absolutely adore it”.Despite the heartwarming moment, Williams and Gauff went on to lose to their opponents 6-7, 6-4, 6-3.Gauff, who is just 17-years-old, has previously described Williams as her “idol.” The young talent first rose to prominence when she defeated her compatriot in the opening round of Wimbledon in 2019.

She has previously competed alongside fellow American Caty McNally in doubles events. The pair reached the quarter-finals of the Australian Open in 2020 and 2021, but McNally injured herself during a qualifying round of Roland-Garros.

The 40-year-old Williams has enjoyed a long and successful career in tennis. She is a six-time Wimbledon champion and two-time winner of the US Open. Williams has also been triumphant in doubles, winning 14 Grand Slams alongside her sister Serena.

Both Williams and Gauff are also competing in the singles event in Paris. The latter is already out of the contest, losing 6-3, 6-1 to Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova.

Gauff was more successful in the first round, getting past Aleksandra Krunić of Serbia 7-6, 6-4. She faces China’s Wang Qiang next.