For the first time in 30 years: Venus Williams disappears from WTA rankings

Former world No. 1 Venus Williams has officially fallen out of the WTA rankings for the first time in three decades. The 44-year-old American lost her remaining ranking points following the conclusion of the Miami Open.

The 7-time Grand Slam champion last competed on tour during the 2024 Sunshine Double, where she received wildcards but suffered first-round exits in both Indian Wells and Miami.

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Williams has significantly reduced her tournament schedule in recent years, mostly playing select events with wildcards—offers that many tournaments gladly extend to one of the most iconic players in tennis history. Despite being 44, she has not announced any plans to retire, though she remains uncertain about when she will return to competition.

Her last victory came in an emotional first-round win at the 2023 Cincinnati Open, where she defeated then-world No. 17 Veronika Kudermetova. However, she lost in the next round to Qinwen Zheng and has since suffered four consecutive defeats.

Williams dropped out of the top 100 in May 2021 and has since fallen outside the top 1000 at times. Still, rankings seem to hold little significance for the former world No. 1, who continues playing more for the love of competition than for chasing past glory.

Talks of a potential retirement have surrounded Williams for years, but she has repeatedly dismissed them. "For the first time in my life, I don’t have a plan [...] I love playing, I play every day. If I feel ready to compete, then I will," she recently said in a YouTube video after training in Miami with former world No. 2 Ons Jabeur.

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Throughout her illustrious career, Williams has won 49 singles titles, including 7 Grand Slams (5 Wimbledon, 2 US Open). She also reached 9 other major finals, losing seven times to her sister Serena Williams.

After failing to defend her Miami Open points from last year, the latest WTA rankings update officially removed Williams from the list. She recently declined a wildcard for Indian Wells and is now listed as an "inactive player" on the WTA website.

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