Venus Williams is set to return to the Australian Open for the first time in five years!
The seven-time Grand Slam singles champion was given a wild-card entry for the tournament, which is set to begin on January 18. She will become the oldest woman to compete in the tournament's main draw.
Williams first appeared in the Australian Open in 1998, when she defeated her younger sister, Serena Williams, in the second round before losing in the quarterfinals to Lindsay Davenport.
Her last appearance at Melbourne Park was in 2021.
Williams announced in November that she would be playing at a WTA tournament in Auckland, New Zealand, which is two weeks before the Australian Open.
The 45-year-old, who holds a 54-21 record at Melbourne Park across her career, is set to break a record held by Japanese player Kimiko Date, who was 44 when she participated in the event in 2015.
Moreover, the news of Williams' appearance came shortly after she tied the knot with actor and model Andrea Preti in a ceremony at Palm Beach, three months after the two got hitched in Italy.
