Essentially the most well-known siblings in tennis will likely be represented within the Australian Open draw but once more after Venus Williams was awarded a wildcard into the season’s first grand slam in Melbourne.
A 12 months after neither Venus nor Serena Williams contested the Open for the primary time in 1 / 4 of a century, Tennis Australia on Monday introduced 42-year-old Venus could be again subsequent month for a twenty second time.
Essentially the most well-known siblings in tennis will likely be represented within the Australian Open draw but once more after Venus Williams (Pictured on the 2019 Australian Open) was awarded a wildcard into the season’s first grand slam in Melbourne
A 12 months after neither Venus nor Serena Williams contested the Open for the primary time in 1 / 4 of a century, Tennis Australia on Monday introduced 42-year-old Venus (pictured) could be again subsequent month for a twenty second time
‘I’m very excited to be returning to Melbourne to compete on the Australian Open in January,’ Williams mentioned in a press release launched by Tennis Australia.
‘I have been competing within the nation for over 20 years now and the Australian neighborhood has at all times supported me wholeheartedly.
‘Will probably be an honour to play for the followers once more and I am wanting ahead to creating extra recollections on the event this 12 months.’
The AO is the most important main title to elude the seven-time grand slam champion, who made her first Melbourne look as a 16-year-old in 1997.
She misplaced the 2003 closing to her sister, and final reached the decider in 2017, shedding once more to Serena, who was three-months pregnant.
The Australian Open is the most important main title to elude the seven-time grand slam champion, who made her first Melbourne look as a 16-year-old in 1997 (Venus pictured on the Australian Open in 2010)
Serena will not be again after saying her retirement following a third-round UP Open loss to Australian No.1 Ajla Tomljanovic in September.
However event director Craig Tiley mentioned he was delighted to welcome again Venus, who holds a 54-21 win-loss report in Melbourne, having reached a minimum of the quarter-finals 9 occasions.
‘Venus is not only an unbelievable participant and fan favorite, she’s an incredible function mannequin and chief in our sport in so some ways,’ Tiley mentioned.
Williams (pictured) joins an unbelievable girls’s area that includes 12 main champions and an unusually excessive main-draw entry rating cut-off of world No.95
‘We’re delighted to welcome her again to the AO in January.’
Williams joins an unbelievable girls’s area that includes 12 main champions and an unusually excessive main-draw entry rating cut-off of world No.95.
The 2023 Australian Open runs from January 16-29.
