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For the primary time in 5 years, Venus Williams shall be again on the Australian Open.
The seven-time Grand Slam singles champion was given a wild-card entry for the match, which is about to start on Jan. 18.
It was introduced by the match on social media that Williams, 45, is returning to Melbourne Park for the occasion.
Williams first appeared within the Australian Open in 1998, when she defeated her youthful sister, Serena, within the second spherical earlier than finally dropping within the quarterfinals to Lindsay Davenport.
Her final look within the Australian Open was in 2021. She has misplaced to Serena twice within the finals in 2003 and 2017.
Williams introduced in November that she can be taking part in at a WTA match in Auckland, New Zealand, which is 2 weeks earlier than the Australian Open.
“I’m excited to be again in Australia and looking out ahead to competing throughout the Australian summer time,” Williams stated, per the Related Press. “I’ve had so many unbelievable reminiscences there, and I’m grateful for the chance to return to a spot that has meant a lot to my profession.”
Williams, who holds a 54-21 file at Melbourne Park throughout her profession, is now set to grow to be the oldest lady to compete within the match’s predominant draw, a file beforehand held by Japanese tennis participant Kimiko Date, who was 44 upon dropping within the first spherical in 2015.
The information comes shortly after Williams married actor and mannequin Andrea Preti in a ceremony at Palm Seashore, Fla. — three months after the 2 bought hitched in Italy.
“It was simply the happiest, most stunning, sweetest day,” the bride, 45, informed Vogue in December 2025.
Williams then clarified to the journal that the explanation behind the 2 weddings was as a result of the couple didn’t have sufficient time to complete the paperwork for an official Italian wedding ceremony.
“We had this dream to do our wedding ceremony in Italy,” she stated. “However we didn’t have sufficient time to do the paperwork — as a result of I’m a foreigner, it might take about eight months. So we determined to have a second wedding ceremony.”
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