Venus Williams awarded wild card for 2026 Australian Open at age 45
The seven-time Grand Slam champion will become the oldest woman to compete in the tournament’s main draw, returning to Melbourne Park after a resurgent 2025 season.
Venus Williams, Australian Open 2025 | © Imago / PsNewz
Seven-time Grand Slam singles champion Venus Williams has received a wild-card entry for the Australian Open, tournament organizers announced Friday, marking her return to Melbourne Park five years after her last appearance and 28 years after her debut.
The 45-year-old Williams is set to become the oldest woman to compete in the tournament’s main draw, surpassing the record held by Japan’s Kimiko Date, who was 44 when she played her final match in Melbourne in 2015.
“I’m excited to be back in Australia and looking forward to competing during the Australian summer,” Williams said in a statement. “I’ve had so many incredible memories there, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to return to a place that has meant so much to my career.”
Williams, a two-time finalist at the Australian Open (2003, 2017), holds a 54-21 career record at the event. Her inclusion headlines a list of eight women’s wild cards that includes a mix of rising Australian talent and international veterans.
2025: A Year of Persistence
The wild card follows a 2025 season where Williams proved she could still challenge the tour’s top tier despite a 16-month hiatus due to health struggles. Key landmarks of her comeback season included:
- The Washington Spark: In July 2025, Williams returned to action at the Mubadala Citi DC Open, securing a stunning 6-3, 6-4 victory over world No. 35 Peyton Stearns. The win made her the second-oldest player to win a tour-level singles match.
- Grand Slam Longevity: At the 2025 US Open, competing in her record-extending 25th appearance at Flushing Meadows, she took 11th seed Karolína Muchová to three sets in a prime-time opening-round thriller at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
- Doubles Resurgence: Williams also reached the women’s doubles quarterfinals in New York alongside Leylah Fernandez, signaling her physical readiness for the rigors of best-of-three set matches.
- Personal Milestone: Off the court, Williams entered the 2026 season on a high note after marrying Danish-born model and actor Andrea Preti in Palm Beach, Florida, in late December.
Williams takes the final discretionary spot in a women’s wild-card field dominated by local Australians and reciprocal entries from the U.S. and French tennis federations.
As of January 2, 2026, the following players have been officially confirmed as main-draw wild-card recipients for the 2026 Australian Open:
Women’s Singles Wild Cards
- Venus Williams (USA)
- Emerson Jones (AUS)
- Priscilla Hon (AUS)
- Talia Gibson (AUS)
- Taylah Preston (AUS)
- Elizabeth Mandlik (USA)
- Tiantsoa Sarah Rakotomanga Rajaonah (FRA)
- Zarina Diyas (KAZ)
Men’s Singles Wild Cards
- James Duckworth (AUS)
- Rinky Hijikata (AUS)
- Patrick Kypson (USA)
- Kyrian Jacquet (FRA)
- Bu Yunchaokete (CHN)
- (Three spots remain to be announced)
