Tennis is great Venus Williams plans to compete for the 33rd consecutive season on the WTA Tour, which begins in January in Auckland.
Organizers of the ASB Classic in New Zealand said on Wednesday that Williams, 45, will compete in their event, which runs from January 5-11.
This suggests that the seven-time Grand Slam singles champion is preparing for the tournament. Australian Open tournament later that month, which she lost twice in the final.
“She is one of the greatest players of our time and her performances on court speak for themselves,” tournament director Nicolas Lamperin said, adding that she was in “remarkable form.”
“Off the court, she has made an equally significant contribution to the game and to the development of women players around the world,” he said.
“Venus has had a profound impact on the evolution of women’s tennis and has inspired the next generation with her unwavering passion for the sport.”
Williams made her professional debut in 1994 in Oakland, California, and has played at least two WTA events every season since then, the tour said.
She last played singles at US Open in August, losing in three sets to 11th seed Karolina Muchova in the first round.
Williams, ranked No. 570, is five years older than the next oldest players in the ranking, Naoko Eto and Bethanie Mattek-Sands.
Naomi Osaka of Japan, a four-time major champion, has also been confirmed for the Auckland field. The Australian Open starts on January 18 in Melbourne.
