Venus Williams receives Australian Open wild card
The 42-year-old former world No. 1 will compete at Melbourne Park again, 25 years after her debut.
WATCH: The Break: Venus and Serena Williams feature in portraits at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery in Washington.
She's back: For the 22nd time in her career, Venus Williams will play in the Australian Open main draw. The seven-time Grand Slam singles champion has received a wild card to 2023's first Grand Slam event.
“I am very excited to be returning to Melbourne to compete at the Australian Open in January,” Williams said in a statement released by Tennis Australia.
“I’ve been competing in the country for over 20 years now and the Australian community has always supported me wholeheartedly. It will be an honor to play for the fans again and I’m looking forward to making more memories at the tournament this year.”
The 2023 Australian Open also marks 25 years since Williams debuted Down Under in 1998 as a 17-year-old.
Williams, now 42, owns a 54-21 career win-loss record at Melbourne Park, and will be competing at the Australian Open for a 22nd time. The former world No. 1 reached the women's singles final in 2003 and 2017, and reached the quarterfinals or better on nine total occasions.
She and her sister, Serena, won four women's doubles titles at the tournament, and she also partnered with fellow American Justin Gimelstob to win the 1998 mixed doubles title.
“Venus is not just an incredible player and fan favorite, she’s a great role model and leader in our sport in so many ways,” Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley said. “We are delighted to welcome her back to the AO in January.”
Williams played just four singles matches in 2022, going 0-4. She's currently ranked No. 1,007 on the WTA computer.