Venus Williams Granted Australian Open Wildcard

Tennis legend Venus Williams is set to make history as the oldest female player to compete in the Australian Open main draw at the age of 45.

The seven-time Grand Slam champion has been awarded the final women’s wildcard for the tournament, which commences on 18th January.

Williams last featured at Melbourne Park in 2021, where she was defeated by Italy’s Sara Errani in the second round.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity to return to a place that has meant so much to my career,” she stated.

The American, a two-time runner-up in the year’s opening Grand Slam, will surpass the record held by Japan’s Kimiko Date, who was 44 when she played at the event in 2015.

Williams has also accepted a wildcard for the Hobart International warm-up event, beginning on 12th January, where she will be joined by Britain’s Emma Raducanu.

The former world number one, who was beaten by her sister Serena in the 2003 and 2017 finals, has not competed outside the United States since 2023.

Williams returned to the US Open in New York last year, becoming the third-oldest woman to compete at the tournament in the Open era. However, she was defeated 6-3 2-6 6-1 in the first round by Czech Karolina Muchova.