Venus Williams, 45, newly married and set to break Australian Open age record

Marriage has not slowed Venus Williams. At 45, the tennis icon will return to the Australian Open in 2026, becoming the oldest woman to compete in the tournament’s main draw, just weeks after tying the knot with Italian Andrea Pretti.

Tournament organizers have awarded Williams the final wildcard for the women’s singles, with play beginning on January 18. Her most recent appearance at Melbourne Park came in 2021, when she exited in the second round after a loss to Italy’s Sara Errani.

Reflecting on her return, Williams said she was thankful for the chance to compete again at a venue that has played an important role in her career. A seven-time Grand Slam singles champion, Williams has twice reached the Australian Open final (in 2003 and 2017, losing both times to her younger sister Serena). By taking the court in Melbourne this year, she will eclipse the previous age benchmark held by Japan’s Kimiko Date, who competed at the event in 2015 at age 44.

Ahead of the season’s first major, Williams will also play the Hobart International, starting on January 12, having accepted a wildcard into the draw.

Despite her long career, Williams has limited her appearances in recent years. She has not played an international event outside the United States since 2023. Last year, she returned to Grand Slam action at the US Open, becoming the third-oldest woman to enter the tournament in the Open era. Her run ended in the opening round with a three-set defeat to Czech star Karolina Muchova. (source: BBC)