Tennis
Venus Williams Awarded Wild Card to Compete at Australian Open
by privatebet.com - 2022/12/20
25 years after making her Australian Open debut, Venus Williams will be competing in Melbourne again. The 42-year-old tennis player has been awarded a wildcard at the upcoming Australian Open this winter. Williams released an official statement announcing her participation and said she’s looking forward to making more memories at the Australian Open next year. "I am very excited to be returning to Melbourne. It will be an honor to play for the fans again. I've been competing in the country for over 20 years now and the Australian community has always supported me wholeheartedly,” said Williams. Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley said they’re delighted to welcome her to Melbourne this winter and described her as an incredible player and a great role model and leader in the world of tennis in so many ways. Despite winning just three matches in 13 tournaments last season, the seven-time Grand Slam singles champion doesn’t seem to be plotting retirement like her sister Serena. She’s currently ranked 1,007th in the world, and we haven’t seen her play a match since her first-round loss at the US Open in August. Venus Williams lifted the Australian Open trophy in doubles on four separate occasions alongside her sister Serena, but never won it in singles and only made it to the final in 2003 and 2017.