MIAMI GARDENS, FL – MARCH 19: Venus Williams in action during the Miami Open on March 19, 2024, at … [+]
Former world number one Venus Williams has been awarded a wild card for next month’s BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells. The 44-year-old American will be returning to competitive action after nearly a year.
Williams, a seven-time Grand Slam singles champion, last played a WTA Tour-level match at the Miami Open in March 2024. There, she lost in the first round to Diana Shnaider. It was her only competitive match of the season.
The upcoming Indian Wells tournament will be the 10th time Williams plays at the WTA 1000 event, having reached the semifinal three times (1998, 2001, 2018) and competing most recently last year as a wild card.
Williams, who has competed on the WTA Tour for more than 30 years, first played at the Indian Wells in 1994.
However, she skipped the tournament from 2002 to 2016 after fans subjected her younger sister and 23-time major champion Serena Williams as well as her family to racist abuse during her 2001 final victory over Kim Clijsters.
The jeers were understood to have been in response to Venus withdrawing injured from the semifinal against Serena. Serena ended her Indian Wells boycott in 2015 while Venus returned the following year.
Williams, who has the most major singles titles among active women on the WTA Tour, has competed sparingly over the past several seasons and dropped to No. 974 in the rankings.
Along with Williams, two-time Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova was also given a wild card to Indian Wells, organizers announced on Wednesday.
BEIJING, CHINA – OCTOBER 02: Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic returns a shot in the Women’s … [+]
Earlier this month, Kvitova said she would return from her 15-month absence following the birth of her son and make her comeback at the WTA 250 ATX Open in Austin, Texas before playing the WTA 1000 events in Indian Wells and Miami.
The Czech, who won Wimbledon titles in 2011 and 2014, last played at the China Open in October 2023. That year, she ended as the world No. 14, winning titles in Miami and Berlin to increase her singles title haul to 31.
Kvitova has made 12 appearances at Indian Wells, reaching the quarterfinals three times, including in her most recent appearance in 2023.
World No. 2 Iga Swiatek will be the defending champion at Indian Wells, while top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka and Australian Open 2025 champion Madison Keys will also feature in the tournament.
Preceding the Miami Open, the Indian Wells is the first event of the “Sunshine Double” and its main draw will be held from March 5-16.
