We finally have information about Venus Williams’ tennis schedule! The 42-year-old American has been given a wildcard for the 2023 Australian Open, which will take place in Melbourne in the second half of January. She will kick off the new season two weeks prior, as she’s also accepted a wildcard to the ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand.
The two-time Australian Open finalist Williams, who made her debut at the Grand Slam back in 1998, is excited to be returning to Melbourne:
I’ve been competing in the country for over 20 years now and the Australian community has always supported me wholeheartedly. It will be an honour to play for the fans again.
Williams has a 54-21 career win-loss record at the Australian Open. Last year, she didn’t fly to Australia and played a total of just four tournaments in the entire 2022 season. Despite her absence from the Hologic WTA Tour and modest recent results, the seven-time major champion has assured us that retirement is still not in her plans and that she has trained hard in recent months.
Women’s field at the 2023 Australian Open will feature 12 Grand Slam champions and an unusually high main-draw entry ranking cut-off of No.95. (source: Australian Open)
Venus Williams deserves all the wildcard entries in the world! Happy for her