Venus Williams given wild card to Libema Open

Seven-time major champion Venus Williams is slated to make her return to competition at next month’s Libema Open after receiving a wild card on Tuesday.

Currently ranked No. 701 in the world, Williams has played sparingly over the past several seasons. The 42-year-old last played at Auckland in January and lost in the second round. She withdrew from the Australian Open soon after with a hamstring injury. She played in just four events in 2022.

This will mark Williams’ debut at the grass-court event in the Netherlands, but she has had some of her best success on the surface, including winning five singles titles at Wimbledon. She is currently not eligible for direct entry to the year’s third major, due to her ranking, and will need a wild card in order to play at the All England Club. Wimbledon gets underway on July 3.

The former world No. 1 last competed in singles at Wimbledon in 2021 and reached the second round. She played mixed doubles in last year’s event alongside Jamie Murray.

Williams’ younger sister Serena, 41, retired from competition in September at the US Open. While there subsequently has been much speculation about Venus Williams’ future in the sport, she has remained vague about her plans. In May, Serena Williams announced she is pregnant with her second child.