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Venus Williams is set to become the oldest female player to compete at the Australian Open after the Jupiter Island resident received a wildcard for the main draw.
Williams, 45, will surpass the record previously held by Japanese player Kimiko Date, who was 44 when she competed down under in 2015.
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"I'm grateful for the opportunity to return to a place that has meant so much to my career," said Williams, who recently married Danish-Italian model and actor Andrea Preti in Palm Beach.
The seven-time Grand Slam winner returns to the tournament for the first time since 2021, when she was eliminated by Italian Sara Errani in the second round. Williams has never won the event, finishing runner-up twice to her sister Serena Williams in 2003 and 2017.
She was the third-oldest woman to compete at the U.S. Open last year, defeated by Karolina Muchova in the opening round. However, she and Leylah Fernandez advanced to the quarterfinals in doubles competition before falling to the top seeded duo of Taylor Townsend and Katerina Siniakova, 6-1, 6-2.
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Venus made history at a WTA event in Washington D.C. in July when she became the oldest women’s player to win a tour match since Martina Navratilova in 2004. It was her first triumph in two years and first tournament appearance in 16 months.
The Australian Open is scheduled to begin on Jan. 18 at Melbourne Park.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Venus Williams set to play Australian Open at 45 after wildcard invite
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