Venus Williams turns down wildcard for Indian Wells
The 44-year-old said she found about the wildcard at the same time as everyone else but will not be available
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Venus Williams will not, after all, be returning to the WTA Tour to play in Indian Wells next week.
The 44-year-old had seemed set to play her first event since Miami last year after the BNP Paribas Open said she had accepted a wildcard into the event.
However, it seems there was a miscommunication somewhere along the way. Speaking at an event in Denmark, quoted by the TennisWeekly podcast, Williams said: “I’m not playing – I’m going to be overseas. I’m not going to be there.
“I just had a player text me today too, like “can you play doubles?”,” she said. “I’m not playing. I found out about the wildcard when you guys did. Just saying. And I love Indian Wells, I would love to be there and if I could have accepted it, I would have been like, yes. But I already made commitments.”
And in a rather sheepish release on Monday, Indian Wells tournament director Tommy Haas confirmed the news, adding that he hopes she will play in the future.
Seven-time major winner Williams played just two matches last year and has dropped in the rankings to No 974, leaving her requiring wildcards to enter any event.
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