Venus Williams Earns Australian Open Wild Card Amid Retirement Speculation

The seven-time Grand Slam champion has played in the Australian Open 21 previous times.

Venus Williams isn’t retiring from professional tennis quite yet.

The seven-time Grand Slam champion earned a wild-card entry to the 2023 Australian Open, which will mark her 22nd time in the tournament. She will play in the main draw of the tournament while being ranked 1,007th in the world.

“I am very excited to be returning to Melbourne to compete at the Australian Open in January,” Williams said, via a press release. “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 honor to play for the fans again, and I’m looking forward to making more memories at the tournament this year.”

After Williams’s younger sister, Serena, “evolved” away from tennis following the 2022 U.S. Open, speculation turned to Venus as fans wondered whether she would follow her sister’s lead and retire.

While Serena was absent on the court in recent years due to pregnancy and injuries, Venus continued to play sporadically.

Venus Williams still has not officially addressed any retirement plans, but at least for now, fans can see her play in another Grand Slam tournament.

The last tournament Williams played in was the U.S. Open, in which she lost in the first round. She also competed in doubles with Serena.

The Australian Open begins Jan. 16 and runs through Jan. 29.