Mueez Ajao
– Venus Williams has been awarded a wildcard to compete in January’s Australian Open at the age of 42.
– The American will be back in Melbourne 25 years after her debut in the tournament, which begins on 16 January.
– Williams won just three matches in 13 tournaments last season but is yet to show any inclination to follow her sister Serena into retirement.
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– A seven-time Grand Slam champion in singles, she was beaten in the Australian Open final in 2003 and 2017.
– “I am very excited to be returning to Melbourne. It will be an honour to play for the fans again,” said Williams, who has won five doubles titles in Melbourne.
– “I’ve been competing in the country for over 20 years now and the Australian community has always supported me wholeheartedly.
– “I’m looking forward to making more memories at the tournament this year.”
– Williams is ranked 1,007th in the world and her last competitive singles match was a first-round defeat at the US Open in August, having played just four tournaments in 2022.
– The Grand Slam in New York was the last for Williams’ sister Serena, who announced she was “evolving away” from tennis before the tournament.
– Nine-time champion Novak Djokovic is also set to compete in Melbourne – a year after being deported from Australia because of his Covid-19 vaccination status.
