Venus Williams has been awarded a wildcard to compete in January’s Australian Open at the age of 42.<\/span><\/p>\n The American will be back in Melbourne 25 years after her debut in the tournament, which begins on 16 January.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Williams won just three matches in 13 tournaments last season but is yet to show any inclination to follow her sister Serena into retirement.<\/span><\/p>\n A seven-time Grand Slam champion in singles, she was beaten in the Australian Open final in 2003 and 2017.<\/span><\/p>\n “I am very excited to be returning to Melbourne. It will be an honour to play for the fans again,” said Williams, who has won five doubles titles in Melbourne.<\/span><\/p>\n “I’ve been competing in the country for over 20 years now and the Australian community has always supported me wholeheartedly.<\/span><\/p>\n “I’m looking forward to making more memories at the tournament this year.”<\/span><\/p>\n Williams is ranked 1,007th in the world and her last competitive singles match was a first-round defeat at the US Open in August, having played just four tournaments in 2022.<\/span><\/p>\n The Grand Slam in New York was <\/span>the last for Williams’ sister Serena,<\/span><\/a> who announced she was “evolving away” from tennis before the tournament.<\/span><\/p>\n Nine-time champion Novak Djokovic is also <\/span>set to compete in Melbourne<\/span><\/a> – a year after being deported from Australia because of his Covid-19 vaccination status.<\/span><\/p>\n Meanwhile, 17-year-old British player Ben Bartram has been given a Australian Open men’s wheelchair wildcard after being named the International Tennis Federation’s (ITF) Junior Wheelchair Tennis Player of the Year.<\/span><\/p>\n
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