The tournament announced on social media on Friday that Williams, 45, would return to Melbourne Park 28 years after her first appearance.
In 1998, she beat her younger sister Serena in the second round, before losing to compatriot Lindsay Davenport in the quarterfinals.
Venus announced in November that she will play in Auckland, New Zealand, at the WTA tournament, where she also received an invitation, two weeks before the Australian Open.
She last played in Melbourne in 2021 and was a two-time women’s singles finalist, losing to Serena in the 2003 and 2017 finals.
“I’m excited to be back in Australia and looking forward to competing in the Australian summer,” Williams said. “I have so many memories from there and I’m grateful for the opportunity to return to a place that has had a huge impact on my career.”
Venus Williams’ record at Melbourne Park is 54 wins and 21 losses. This will be her 22nd appearance in the main draw of the tournament.
The tournament said Williams will become the oldest woman ever to play in the Australian Open main draw, surpassing the previous record held by Japan’s Kimiko Date, who was 44 when she lost in the first round at Melbourne Park in 2015.
In late December, Venus married Danish-born model and actor Andrea Preti in Palm Beach, Florida.
(Vijesti.ba)
