Venus Williams gets Australian Open wildcard aged 45

United States tennis fable Venus Williams returns to the Australian Open for the archetypal clip since 2021.

Seven-time large singles champion Venus Williams has been handed a wildcard to the Australian Open aged 45, becoming the oldest pistillate to play astatine the season-opening tennis Grand Slam.

The American, who has played lone a constricted fig of singles matches successful caller years, volition vie successful the main gully astatine Melbourne Park for the archetypal clip since 2021.

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“I’m excited to beryllium backmost successful Australia and looking guardant to competing during the Australian summer,” Williams said connected Friday.

“I’ve had truthful galore unthinkable memories determination and I’m grateful for the accidental to instrumentality to a spot that has meant truthful overmuch to my career.”

Williams is simply a five-time Wimbledon champion and besides won 2 US Opens.

She was an Australian Open singles finalist successful 2003 and 2017.

She volition go the oldest pistillate to play astatine the Australian Open since Japan’s Kimiko Date, who was 44 erstwhile she mislaid successful the archetypal circular successful 2015.

Williams, a four-time Australian Open doubles champion, is acceptable to statesman her preparations for the January 18-February 1 tourney astatine the Auckland Classic adjacent week, having returned to the circuit astatine the US Open past twelvemonth aft a 16-month break.

She volition past caput to the Hobart International instantly earlier Melbourne.

Two-time Grand Slam champion and chap American Coco Gauff said it was “incredible” to spot Williams inactive turning up for tournaments.

“She’s a fable of the sport, truthful it volition beryllium chill to spot her backmost successful action,” she said.

“It’s unthinkable the longevity of her career. She’s 1 of the radical I looked up to, truthful looking guardant to seeing her backmost connected court.”