Tennis legend Venus Williams, a seven-time Grand Slam singles champion, has been granted a wild-card entry into the Australian Open. The major tournament in Melbourne starts on January 18.
At 45, Williams is poised to set a new record as the oldest woman to participate in the Australian Open main draw. She will surpass the previous record held by Kimiko Date of Japan, who was 44 when she competed and lost in the first round at Melbourne Park in 2015.
Tournament organizers made the announcement on January 2. Williams will be returning to Melbourne Park, a place she last played 28 years ago.
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Her first Australian Open in 1998 was notable for a second-round match where Venus beat her younger sister, Serena Williams, in one of their first professional matchups. Venus’ run ended in the quarterfinals with a loss to fellow American and eventual champion, Lindsay Davenport.
“I’m excited to be back in Australia and looking forward to competing during the Australian summer,” Williams said, according to CNN. “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.”
In November, she announced her participation in Auckland, New Zealand, having received a wild card for the event two weeks before the Australian Open. Following that, the Australian Open confirmed that Williams is also entered to play in a tournament in Hobart, Australia, a week before the main draw begins at Melbourne Park.
Her last appearance in Melbourne was in 2021. She has reached the women’s singles final twice, losing both times to Serena in 2003 and again in 2017.
Williams also received a wildcard entry for the Hobart International, a warm-up tournament beginning on January 12th. She will be competing alongside Britain’s Emma Raducanu at this event, BBC reported.
The former world number one has not competed in a tournament outside the United States since 2023.
Having participated in the main draw 21 times previously, Williams is set for her 22nd appearance at Melbourne Park. Her record at the tournament stands at 54 victories against 21 defeats.
Last year in New York, Williams returned to the US Open, where she was the third-oldest woman to compete in the tournament during the Open era. Her participation ended in the first round, however, when she was defeated by Czech Karolina Muchova with a score of 6-3, 2-6, 6-1.
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Despite a 16-month break, Williams marked her return to singles competition last July with a victory. By defeating 23-year-old Peyton Stearns in the first round of the D.C. Open, she became the second-oldest woman ever to win a tour-level singles match.
During an on-court interview following the match, Williams disclosed her engagement to Andrea Preti, a 37-year-old Danish model and actor, as reported by the Los Angeles Times.
“Yes, my fiancé is here, and he really encouraged me to keep playing,” Williams said at the time. “There were so many times where I just wanted to coast and kind of chill. … He encouraged me to get through this, and it’s wonderful [for him] to be here. He’s never seen me play.”
In late December 2025, Williams married Andrea Preti in Palm Beach, Florida.
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