Seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams gets Australian Open wildcard, becoming the oldest woman ever to compete at the Melbourne tournament.
SEVEN-time major singles champion Venus Williams has been handed a wildcard to the Australian Open at age 45.
The American becomes the oldest woman ever to compete at the season-opening Grand Slam tournament.
Williams will play in the main draw at Melbourne Park for the first time since 2021.
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“I’m excited to be back in Australia and looking forward to competing during the Australian summer,” said Williams.
“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.”
An Australian Open singles finalist in 2003 and 2017, she is a five-time Wimbledon champion and also won two US Opens.
She will become the oldest woman to play at the Australian Open since Japan’s Kimiko Date, who was 44 when she lost in the first round in 2015.
Williams, a four-time Australian Open doubles champion, will begin her preparations at the Auckland Classic next week.
She returned to the circuit at the US Open last year after a 16-month break.
The Australian Open runs from January 18 to February 1. – AFP
