Venus Williams, 44, Makes Retirement U-Turn and Will Return to Tennis
Tennis legend Venus Williams will return to the sport next month, accepting a wildcard entry for the Indian Wells Masters at the age of 44. This marks her first tournament since March 2024, when she was eliminated in the first round of the Miami Open.
The seven-time Grand Slam champion has not played since her loss in Miami, but she will end her nearly year-long break when the Indian Wells main draw begins on March 5, 2025, in California.
Williams, who is currently ranked No.974 in the world, has struggled to find form in her recent matches. Her last win came against Veronika Kudermetova in August 2023 at the Western & Southern Open. Since then, she has faced defeats to players like Zheng Qinwen, Greet Minnen, Nao Hibino, and Diana Shnaider. Her last appearance at Indian Wells was in 2024, where she lost in the first round to Nao Hibino.
Indian Wells holds special significance for the Williams sisters, especially after the controversy surrounding their 2001 semi-final. Venus withdrew from the match against Serena due to a knee injury, leading to accusations from Elena Dementieva that their father, Richard Williams, was manipulating the results. This led to hostility towards Serena in the final against Kim Clijsters, with fans booing and whistling throughout.
Serena later spoke about the racial undertones of the incident, calling the false allegations “hurtful” and “unfair” in a 2015 Time magazine essay. The sisters boycotted the tournament for 15 years, with Venus returning in 2016.
In an interview last October, Venus made it clear that she was not ready to retire. She said, “I’m not done with the racquet yet. At this point, it’s about picking and choosing the places I want to be.”
The 44-year-old, who turned professional in 1994, has continued to hold herself to high standards even when not competing.
