Venus Williams gets Australian Open wild card at 45; set to return five years after last appearance

Seven-time Grand Slam singles champion Venus Williams has obtained a wild card entry for the Australian Open starting January 18, 2026 in Melbourne.

The match mentioned Friday (January 2, 2026) that the 45-year-old Williams would make a return to Melbourne Park 28 years after her first look. In 1998, she defeated her youthful sister Serena within the second spherical earlier than dropping within the quarterfinals to fellow American Lindsay Davenport.

Venus had introduced in November that she would play in Auckland, New Zealand, the place she additionally obtained a wild card, two weeks earlier than the Australian Open. The Australian Open mentioned Williams was additionally entered to play a match in Hobart, Australia every week later and simply earlier than play begins at Melbourne Park.

She final appeared in Melbourne in 2021 and has completed runner-up within the ladies’s singles twice, dropping to Serena within the finals in 2003 and 2017.

“I’m excited to be again in Australia and searching ahead to competing in the course of the Australian summer time,” Williams mentioned. “I’ve had so many unimaginable reminiscences there, and I’m grateful for the chance to return to a spot that has meant a lot to my profession.”

Williams’ document at Melbourne Park is 54 wins and 21 losses. This 12 months would be the twenty second time she has appeared in the primary draw.

The match mentioned Williams is about to turn out to be the oldest lady to compete in an Australian Open fundamental draw, surpassing the document beforehand held by Japan’s Kimiko Date, who was 44 when she misplaced within the first spherical at Melbourne Park in 2015.

In late December, Williams married Danish-born mannequin and actor Andrea Preti at Palm Seaside, Florida.