Venus Williams Returns to US Open in Mixed Doubles
The legendary tennis player Venus Williams is preparing for her return to the US Open next month. The tennis star will compete in the redesigned mixed doubles tournament, teaming up with Reilly Opelka thanks to a special invitation.
Williams, who returned to the tennis scene last week after more than a year of absence, and Opelka are part of the 14 teams announced by the U.S. Tennis Association for the mixed doubles event, which will take place from August 19 to 20.
Eight of the pairs earned direct entry into the tournament based on their combined highest individual rankings, while six received special invitations from the USTA.
Among the prominent players in the draw are nine winners of at least one individual Grand Slam title and 14 who are ranked in the top 10 of the WTA or ATP in singles.
The eight duos with direct entry are: Emma Navarro and Jannik Sinner; Paula Badosa and Jack Draper; Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud; Elena Rybakina and Taylor Fritz; Amanda Anisimova and Holger Rune; Belinda Bencic and Alexander Zverev; Jessica Pegula and Tommy Paul; and Mirra Andreeva and Daniil Medvedev.
Originally, Badosa was looking for a place in the tournament with Stefanos Tsitsipas, while Draper initially planned to play alongside Zheng Qinwen.
In addition to Williams-Opelka, the teams that received special invitations are: Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz; Madison Keys and Frances Tiafoe; Olga Danilovic and Novak Djokovic; Taylor Townsend and Ben Shelton; and last year’s US Open mixed doubles champions, Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori.
A total of 16 couples will compete for the $1 million grand prize; the last two invited couples will be announced later.
There is still a chance that Williams will request and receive a wild card for the singles competition. The USTA is expected to make the relevant announcements during the week of August 11th.
The tennis player achieved a victory in both singles and doubles at the D.C. Open in Washington last week, after not competing since the Miami Open in March 2024. She also received a special invitation to the Cincinnati Open next month.
Williams has seven Grand Slam singles titles, 14 in women’s doubles (all won with her sister Serena), and two in mixed doubles.
