INDIAN WELLS, Calif. – Tennis player Venus Williams has been awarded a wild card to participate in both the singles and doubles events of the BNP Paribas Open, which will be held next month in the Southern California desert. This will be the first time the 45-year-old athlete has competed in the tournament since 2024, an edition in which she fell in the first round, also thanks to an invitation. Williams has three semi-final appearances, the most recent in 2018. It should be noted that she boycotted the event between 2002 and 2016 after a controversial incident in 2001. “It is an honor to award the first invitation of this year to Venus Williams,” declared Tommy Haas, tournament director, this Friday. “Venus is a tennis legend and one of the most successful players this sport has seen.” This will be Williams’ tenth participation in the tournament, which will take place from March 4 to 15. Last year, she received a similar invitation, but did not accept it.
Her most recent participation was at the Australian Open, where she was eliminated in the first round in both singles and doubles. Williams is scheduled to compete in the ATX Open, a WTA 250 event in Austin, Texas, which begins this Saturday and runs until March 1st.“I’m very excited to return to Indian Wells and eager to come home to play in California,” Williams expressed.
Venus Williams
