Venus Williams, 45, to be oldest ever women's player at Australian Open
US star gets wildcard for 2026 tournament
Venus Williams has been given a wildcard to play in the Australian Open first round aged 45, making her the oldest woman to ever play in the tennis tournament.
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She will be hoping to improve on her second round exit in 2021, the last time she played, as she eclipses the record of Japan’s Kimiko Date, who was 44 when she played in Melbourne in 2015.
Williams announced her pro tennis comeback last year and, while she lost her first round of singles at last year’s US Open, she did secure her first grand slam win in four years in the doubles alongside Canadian Leylah Fernandez.
The five-time Wimbledon winner has never won the Australian Open, having twice reached the final - losing in 2003 and 2017 to her younger sister Serena, who retired in 2022.
"I'm grateful for the opportunity to return to a place that has meant so much to my career," said the older Williams, who married Andrea Preti on December 19.
"I am excited to be back in Australia and looking forward to competing during the summer.”
The Australian Open runs from January 18 to February 1 and to prepare, Williams has accepted another wildcard for a warm-up tournament, the Hobart International in Tasmania.
How old is Venus Williams?
Venus Williams, born June 17, 1980, is 45 and will turn 46 this year.
She is currently ranked as world number 148 - but would not be the lowest ranked player to ever win the title, if she pulled off the sensational, as Mark Edmondson won 50 years ago, ranked 212th.
Martina Navratilova was 49 when she won mixed doubles at the 2006 US Open and was 47, two years earlier, when she won a match in the singles draw of Wimbledon.