Williams, 45, given wildcard for Auckland Classic
Venus Williams has received a wildcard entry for the Auckland Classic in January. The 45-year-old, a seven-time Grand Slam singles champion, returned to competition in July after a 16-month break.
She marked her comeback by defeating world No. 35 Peyton Stearns at the Washington Open, becoming the second-oldest woman to win a WTA Tour-level singles match.
A month later, she earned a US Open wildcard and pushed 11th seed Karolina Muchova to three sets in the first round.
Williams, who won the Auckland title in 2015, will compete there for the first time since 2023. The event runs January 5–11, ahead of the Australian Open.
