Venus Williams urges Alex Eala to play doubles with new partner after Canadian Open

Venus Williams has told Alex Eala that she should play with her sister, Serena Williams, at a future doubles event following the Canadian Open.

Venus Williams and Eala took part in the doubles competition in Toronto, losing at the round of 32 stage to Liudmila Samsonova and Japan's Miyu Kato.

They paired together in June's Bad Homburg Open, where they won one match before losing in the quarter-finals to second seeds Teresa Mihalikova and Olivia Nicholls.

Thursday evening was their first match together since then, with Eala having made what she described as the 'difficult decision' to withdraw from the doubles competition at the Washington Open to focus on the women's singles event, which she won to secure her maiden WTA 500 title.

The 21-year-old, from the Philippines, has been a rising sensation in tennis in recent months.

Tickets for her opening round match at the Canadian Open, on Wednesday evening, sold out within hours of her schedule being announced.

She has been so popular that the match had to be played on Centre Court, because there were too many ticket holders for her to play anywhere else.

READ MORE: Alex Eala match triggers Canadian Open organisers to make big tournament change

One vendor at the stadium venue has even changed one of their food offerings to cater for Eala's supporters.

'Alex has to put on her list...' - Williams recommends new doubles partner for Eala

Her win at the Washington Open has placed her inside the top 20 of the live WTA rankings, though she is showing no signs of wanting to move away from doubles tennis at this relatively early stage of her career.

And speaking in a post-match press conference after their defeat in the doubles competition in Toronto, Venus Williams has backed Eala to play alongside another of the sport's true greats.

"I think Alex has to put on her list to play with Serena some day," Williams said. "Then she can complete the Williams sisters!"

The two sisters are due to play doubles again at next week's Cincinnati Open, and she added: "Yeah, I think the whole world was looking forward to Wimbledon, and didn't end up the way we had hoped.

"Hopefully we can get on the court and get back into the swing of things, and pick up the way we left off."

"For me, it's super inspiring," Eala said, when asked whether she was looking forward to watching Serena and Venus in doubles action.

"The things that the Williams sisters have done for tennis is incredible. And they just keep doing it, and keep helping us, especially the women in sports.

"I remember when Serena came back at Wimbledon, I went to watch her game [singles first round, against Maya Joint] from the stands, the end of the second and a bit of third. So to be able to experience it live, and from a closer vicinity than I did when I was younger, it's a great pleasure."