Tennis legend makes comeback ahead of Australian open

Former world number one Venus Williams has not yet decided to retire, and at 45 years old, she will compete at the Auckland tournament in January, organizers announced, as quoted by AFP.

The elder of the Williams sisters, who has won seven Grand Slam titles, received a wild card to play in the event, which will take place from January 5 to 11, just before the Australian Open, starting on January 18, CE Report quotes BTA.

Venus Williams was away from the court for a year and a half before making her comeback in Washington in July. For that return, she faced fellow American Peyton Stearns, who wasn’t even born when Venus lifted her first Wimbledon trophy in 2000.

Williams played two more matches during the summer – in Cincinnati and at the US Open – suffering two losses, though she did take a set off world number 13 Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic.

“She is one of the great competitors of the modern era, and her record speaks for itself,” said Auckland tournament director Nicholas Lamperin. “Venus has had a huge influence on the evolution of women’s tennis and has inspired the next generation with her passion for the game,” he added.

Venus Williams previously won the Auckland title in 2015, defeating Caroline Wozniacki in the final. She holds five Wimbledon titles, two US Open titles, and an Olympic gold medal from Sydney 2000.