VENUS WILLIAMS RECEIVES FINALS AUSTRALIAN OPEN WILDCARD

At 45, Venus Williams will be the oldest female competitor to participate in the Australian Open main draw. The final women's wildcard for the tournament, which starts on January 18, has been given to the seven-time Grand Slam champion. When Williams last competed at Melbourne Park in 2021, Sara Errani of Italy defeated her in the second round.

She remarked, "I'm thankful for the chance to return to a place that has meant so much to my career." 

The American, who finished second twice in the year's opening Grand Slam event, will break the mark set by Kimiko Date of Japan, who competed at the event in 2015 at the age of 44.

Additionally, Williams has agreed to a wildcard for the Hobart International warm-up tournament, which will begin on January 12 and feature Emma Raducanu of Britain. The former world number one hasn't competed outside of the US since 2023 after losing to her sister Serena in the 2003 and 2017 finals.

Last year, Williams returned to the US Open in New York, making history as the third-oldest female competitor in the Open era. However, Czech Karolina upset her 6-3, 2-,6 6-1 in the opening round.