Seven-time Grand Slam singles champion Venus Williams has qualified for the tournament. Australian Open starts January 18 in Melbourne.
The tournament announced on Friday that Williams, 45, would return to Melbourne Park 28 years after her first appearance. In 1998, she defeated her younger sister Serena in the second round before losing to American Lindsay Davenport in the quarterfinals.
Venus announced in November that she will be playing in Auckland, New Zealand.where she also received a wild card, two weeks before the Australian Open. The Australian Open reported that Williams had also been entered for the tournament in Hobart, Australia, a week later, shortly before play began at Melbourne Park.
She last competed in Melbourne in 2021 and has twice finished runner-up in the women's singles, losing to Serena in the finals in 2003 and 2017.
“I’m really excited to be back in Australia and look forward to competing in the Australian summer,” Williams said. “I made so many incredible memories there and I’m grateful for the opportunity to return to a place that meant so much to my career.”
Williams' record at Melbourne Park is 54 wins and 21 losses. This year she will appear in the main draw for the 22nd time.
The tournament says Williams will become the oldest woman to compete in the main draw of the Australian Open, surpassing the record previously set by Japan's Kimiko Date, who was 44 when she lost in the first round at Melbourne Park in 2015.
At the end of December Williams married Danish-born model and actor Andrea Preti. in Palm Beach, Florida.
