Venus Williams receives wildcard to play singles at US Open, breaks 44-year-old record

Twenty-eight years after reaching the US Open final in her debut appearance as a teenager, Venus Williams is set for a remarkable return. The 45-year-old has been awarded a singles wildcard for this year’s tournament at Flushing Meadows, her first singles appearance since 2021 after missing the past two editions due to surgery. She had already been invited to compete in mixed doubles earlier this month by the USTA.

Williams’ entry makes her the oldest player to compete in a US Open singles event since 1981, when Renee Richards played at age 47—16 years before Venus made her own debut. The milestone comes shortly after she became the oldest player to win a WTA singles match since 2004, defeating Peyton Stearns at the DC Open in Washington. The last to do so was Martina Navratilova, who claimed a singles win at 47.

Speaking after her win in Washington, Williams downplayed speculation about her future: “I’m just here for now, and who knows? Maybe there’s more … But at the moment, I’m focused just on this. I haven’t played in a year. There is no doubt I can play tennis, but coming back to matches takes time. I definitely feel I’ll play well. I’m still the same player.”

A two-time US Open champion, Williams claimed back-to-back titles in 2000 and 2001, adding to her four Wimbledon crowns. She has also reached two more US Open finals, with her most recent deep run coming in 2017, when she reached the finals of both the Australian Open and Wimbledon, and made the semifinals in New York.