Venus Williams Receives Australian Open Wild Card

Seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams has accepted a wild card to play in the 2026 Australian Open, according to a Thursday announcement from the tournament’s social media.

Williams, at 45 years old, has not played in the season’s first Grand Slam since 2021. She entered three tournaments in 2025, losing in the first round of the US Open. However, she made a huge splash when she defeated Peyton Stearns in Washington D.C. for her first win in nearly two years.

Williams, as of Thursday evening, has not commented on her entry in the tournament.

Her results at the Australian Open have been positive, with an overall record of 54-21, though she has not won a title at the event. She reached the final of the tournament in 2003 and 2017; the latter championship appearance was in a blockbuster matchup against sister Serena Williams. Serena, famously, won that match while she was early in her pregnancy with her first child.

The Australian Open begins on Jan. 18, and the 2026 tennis season kicks off on Friday at the United Cup.

Venus Williams is always subject of retirement rumors, but she is still competitive when she chooses to play, and she has given no indication that she is ready to end her career anytime soon. We won’t know when she’s done until she says she is, but for now it’s obvious that she’ll still be playing.