Venus Williams returns to US Open as broadcasters anticipate ratings boost
Seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams will make a surprise return to the US Open this summer after receiving a singles wildcard at the age of 45.
It will be her first singles appearance at a major since 2023 and her 25th at Flushing Meadows, where she lifted the trophy in 2000 and 2001.
Williams had been absent from the tour for more than a year, last competing at the Miami Open in March 2024. During her break she focused on her interior design business V Starr, became part of Mattel’s Barbie “Inspiring Women” collection, and announced her engagement to Italian actor-producer Andrea Preti.
She returned to competition this July, defeating Peyton Stearns in Washington to become the second-oldest woman to win a WTA match since Martina Navratilova in 2004, before also playing in Cincinnati.
Broadcasters such as Sky Sports have already highlighted the news to their audiences, clearly anticipating a wave of nostalgia and the return of long-time fans who watched Williams dominate the sport in the early 2000s. For the US Open, the storyline is a promotional asset: a living legend stepping back into the limelight on home soil.
Realistically, few expect Williams to mount a deep run in the draw. But as a symbolic moment, her return could be remembered alongside events like Rafael Nadal’s emotional farewell at Roland Garros — a chapter less about results and more about legacy.
Cover image: Venus Williams, recently focused on business, now returns to tennis. Depositphotos