Venus Williams given US Open wildcard with door open to sister Serena
Venus Williams headlines the list of main draw singles wildcards for this year’s US Open, with a space left to potentially be filled by sister Serena.
46-year-old Venus is a two-time winner at Flushing Meadows and first played the US Open 29 years ago, although she has played singles sporadically over the last four years and is currently on a 13-match streak without a win.
She last played a grand slam match in a first-round loss to Serbia’s Olga Danilovic at the Austalian Open this January.
Seven of the eight singles wildcards have been announced for both the men’s and women’s main draw, with one still to be announced, leaving the door open to Serena should she continue her comeback.
The younger Williams sister made a sensational return to tennis this summer after four years away, having played her last singles match at the US Open – where she won six of her 23 grand slam titles – in 2022, before “evolving away” from the sport.
Her singles comeback at Wimbledon ended in the first round with defeat to Maya Joint, while she and Venus could not play doubles together as planned after 44-year-old Serena injured her knee in that match.
However, the pair took to the court together this week at the Cincinnati Open, where they lost a three-set thriller in front of a packed crowd, and could resume their partnership in New York, with the doubles wildcards still to be announced.
There are also three wildcard places yet to be confirmed for the mixed doubles competition, which begins on 24 August.
2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens has also received a singles wildcard, while on the men’s side, crowd favourite and former semi-finalist Gael Monfils – who is retiring at the end of the year – has been granted one for his final grand slam.
2016 champion and three-time slam winner Stan Wawrinka, who would also be playing in his last grand slam before retirement, could receive the final spot.
Wimbledon boys’ champion Jordan Lee and 2014 US Open runner-up Kei Nishikori headline the list of wildcards into the qualifying draw.
