Australian Open: Venus Williams awarded wild card entry, says ‘it will be an honour to play for the fans again’
- Williams will make her 22nd appearance at Melbourne Park in January, a quarter of a century after she first played there
- In addition to her two Australian Open finals in 2003 and 2017, former world No 1 has reached quarter final stage on nine occasions
Seven-time grand slam singles champion Venus Williams will take her place in the main draw of Australian Open 2023 after being awarded a wild card.
The tournament, running from January 16 to 29, will be Williams’ 22nd trip to Melbourne Park, 25 years after she debuted in 1998.
The 42-year-old has been a two-time Australian Open finalist, most recently in her resurgent season of 2017, before injuries restricted her tournament schedule over the past two years.
“I’ve been competing in the country for over 20 years now and the Australian community has always supported me wholeheartedly,” Williams said in a statement.
“It will be an honour to play for the fans again and I’m looking forward to making more memories at the tournament this year.”
In addition to her two Australian Open finals of 2003 and 2017, the former world No 1 has reached at least the quarter-final stage on nine occasions.