Venus Williams, who once held the top spot in the tennis world, has opted to decline a wildcard invitation for the upcoming Indian Wells tournament. Just last week, organizers extended the offer to the 44-year-old, renowned for her seven Grand Slam singles titles, yet she chose not to accept.
The announcement came via a social media post on X, credited to Tommy Haas, the tournament director. It read, “Our team has received word that Venus Williams will not be taking the wildcard this year. We wish her all the best and look forward to hopefully welcoming her back to Indian Wells someday.”
Currently ranked 974th globally, Williams hasn’t competed in a WTA Tour-level match since March of last year, when she faced a first-round loss at the Miami Open. She shared on the TennisWeekly podcast that she wouldn’t be making her comeback at Indian Wells, which is scheduled from March 2 to March 16.
“I’m not playing,” she commented candidly. “I’ll actually be overseas during that time, so I won’t be around.”
