MELBOURNE ¨C Seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams thanked Australian Open organizers on Saturday for giving her a wild card that will see the 45-year-old American become the oldest woman ever to compete in the singles main draw.
Williams returned to tennis last season after a 16-month break, winning one of her ?four tour-level matches before starting 2026 with a first-round defeat by world No. 53 Magda Linette ?as a ?wild card at the Auckland Classic last week.
Granted another wild card for the Hobart International, ?world No. 576 Williams was also eliminated in the first round against 38-year-old German Tatjana Maria, a match featuring players with the highest combined age in WTA history.
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