Venus Williams gets wild card to play first Australian Open in 5 years

MELBOURNE, Australia — Seven-time Grand Slam singles champion Venus Williams received a wild-card entry for the Australian Open beginning Jan. 18.

The tournament announced in a social media post Friday that the 45-year-old Williams would make a return to Melbourne Park 28 years after her first appearance. In 1998, she defeated her younger sister, Serena, in the second round before losing in the quarterfinals to fellow American Lindsay Davenport.

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Venus had announced in November that she would play in Auckland, New Zealand at a WTA tournament, where she also received a wild card, two weeks before the Australian Open.

She last appeared in Melbourne in 2021 and has finished runner-up in the women’s singles twice, losing to Serena in the finals in 2003 and 2017.

“I’m excited to be back in Australia and looking forward to competing during the Australian summer,” Williams said. “I’ve had so many incredible memories there, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to return to a place that has meant so much to my career.”

Venus Williams’ record at Melbourne Park is 54 wins and 21 losses. This year will be the 22nd time she has appeared in the main draw.

The tournament said Williams was set to become the oldest woman to compete in an Australian Open main draw, surpassing the record previously held by Japan’s Kimiko Date, who was 44 when she lost in the first round at Melbourne Park in 2015.

In late December, Venus married Danish-born model and actor Andrea Preti at Palm Beach, Florida.