Legendary American tennis star Venus Williams has at least one more go in her, after all.
The 45-year-old received a wild-card invitation from the US Tennis Association (USTA) on Wednesday, which grants her permission to compete in the women’s singles tournament at the 2025 US Open, which will mark her return to Grand Slam tennis after a two-year absence. She will be the oldest entrant in a US Open singles tournament, which begins on Aug. 24, since 1981, when 47-year-old Renee Richards competed.
Williams will be entered in two different competitions at the Queens-based Grand Slam, hosted by the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. She previously received a wild-card invitation to compete in the mixed doubles competition alongside Reilly Opelka, which begins on Aug. 19.
This is a remarkable comeback for one of the greatest American tennis players ever. Last year, she had surgery to remove uterine fibroids and was out for the majority of 2024. In July, she returned to action at the DC Open after a 16-month layoff, becoming the oldest woman to win a tour-level singles match since a 47-year-old Martina Navratilova did so in 2004.
Williams last competed at a Grand Slam at the 2023 US Open, where she lost in the first round. She has not won a match at the American major since 2019.
She has won the singles title twice in her storied career, which came in 2000 and 2001. In total, Williams has won seven major singles championships and 14 women’s doubles — all of which came alongside her sister, Serena, who is the greatest women’s tennis player of all-time with 23 career Grand Slam titles.
