Venus Williams, 45, gets Australian Open wildcard

At age 45, Venus Williams will become the oldest female athlete to compete in the main draw of the Australian Open.

The tournament’s final women’s wildcard, which starts on January 18, has been given to the seven-time Grand Slam champion.

Williams last played at Melbourne Park in 2021 before being defeated in the second round by Sara Errani from Italy.

She said, “I’m appreciative of the opportunity to go back to a place that has had a significant impact on my career.”

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

The former world number one hasn’t competed outside of the United States since 2023, where she was defeated by her sister Serena in the 2003 and 2017 finals.

Williams made a second-place return to the US Open in New York last year, making her the third-oldest woman to do so during the Open era. She was then defeated by Czech Karolina Muchova, who won 6-3, 2-6, and 6-1.