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Venus Williams is returning to Auckland as a wildcard for the ASB Classic.
Tennis legend Venus Williams is returning to the ASB Classic, confirmed on Tuesday as a wildcard for next month’s event.
The 42-year-old had stepped away from regular tournament play last year but with a wildcard to compete at the Australian Open, accordingly sought a spot in the Auckland event as a lead-in.
The seven-time grand slam champion has played in the New Zealand tournament five times previously, with one of her 49 career title wins coming there, in 2015, and she last featured in it in 2019.
“We are absolutely thrilled to have one of the greatest players returning to the ASB Classic,” tournament director Nicolas Lamperin said.
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“Venus is not just one of the best players in the history of the sport, but she loves it here in New Zealand. When her agent contacted us, we were more than pleased to offer her a wildcard.”
Williams said she had no hesitation to ask for a spot in an Auckland event she first competed in in 2014. She lost the final of that maiden appearance to Ana Ivanovic, before triumphing the following year, beating Caroline Wozniacki in the decider.
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The central venue is celebrating the milestone with recently uncovered footage from its past which shows some of New Zealand’s best on it before it adopted blue courts.
In 2016 she was ousted in the first round by Daria Kasatkina, the following year she withdrew in the second round due to an arm injury, then in 2019 she lost to Bianca Andreescu in the quarterfinals.
“I’m looking forward to playing my first tournament of the season in Auckland,” she said. “The tournament and fans always make me feel welcome and I’m excited to compete there in January.”
Williams joins three other grand slam champions in the field in US Open winners Emma Raducanu and Sloane Stephens, and Australian Open winner Sofia Kenin.
Williams won Wimbledon five times and the US Open twice, as well as making the final of the Australian Open (twice) and Roland Garros, and she reached top spot in the world rankings. At the height of her career she made it to at least the quarterfinals of grand slams for 14 straight years.
The ASB Classic women’s competition begins on January 2, with qualifying on December 30 and 31.
