Venus Williams takes Madrid Open wild card

Born in 1980, the seven-time Major champion Venus Williams stands as the most experienced player on the WTA Tour, followed by her sister Serena, a year younger.

Venus will turn 41 in June, and she is still passionate about tennis, working with Reilly Opelka recently and preparing for the European clay-court swing. The veteran didn't make a good start to the season, falling to Petra Kvitova at the Yarra Valley Classic in Melbourne in two tight sets before suffering an early Australian Open loss. Venus failed to win a match at home in Miami, but she is still eager to improve her ranking and remain inside the top-100 this season.

Venus received the Madrid Mutua Open wild card, returning to the Spanish capital for the first time since 2018 and seeking a deep run at Caja Magica. Venus will compete in Madrid for the sixth time, with her best result coming in 2010 when she lost in the final to Aravane Rezai in straight sets.

"It's always a privilege to be able to see such talented players who have so much history on the tour. Venus is a legend of women's tennis, and we will be able to enjoy her presence and that of seven other women who have been world number one. This news guarantees a spectacular tournament once again this season", the tournament director Feliciano Lopez said.