Australian Open: eternal Venus Williams, on court in Melbourne with wild card

Milan, Jan. 2 (LaPresse) – American legend Venus Williams will play in the main draw of the 2026 Australian Open after receiving the eighth and final women’s wild card. It will be her first appearance at Melbourne Park since 2021 and the first time she will compete outside the United States since 2023. The organizers of the Australian Slam announced it. Williams, who made an impressive return to the sport in July 2025, will prepare for the 2026 Australian Open at the Hobart International, where she has also received a wild card and will join Major champions Barbora Krejcikova and Emma Raducanu. “I am excited to be back in Australia and I can’t wait to compete during the Australian summer,” said Williams. “I have so many incredible memories there and I am grateful for the opportunity to return to a place that has meant so much to my career,” she added. Williams, 45, is set to become the oldest woman to compete in the main draw of the Australian Open, surpassing the record previously held by Japan’s Kimiko Date, who was 44 when she lost in the first round of the 2015 Australian Open. A singles finalist at the Australian Open in 2003 and 2017, Williams is a five-time Wimbledon champion and has also won two US Opens.