Venus Williams turns down wildcard for WTA Indian Wells, tournament organisers confirm
ByOli Gent
Updated 24/02/2025 at 10:07 GMT
Venus Williams has turned down a wildcard for this year's Indian Wells tournament. Tournament organisers have confirmed. The 44-year-old was set to feature in her first event of the calendar year having played two tournaments in 2024, but will no longer be a the WTA 1000 tournament. Williams is a seven-time Grand Slam champion, and has previously stated that she has no intention of fully retiring.
Venus Williams przegrała w Indian Wells z Nao Hibino
Image credit: Getty Images
Venus Williams has turned down a wildcard to play at Indian Wells, tournament director Tommy Haas confirmed.
The former world No. 1 was set to play in her first event of 2025 but has opted to skip the WTA 1000 event in California.
"Our team has been informed that Venus is not accepting the wild card this year," a statement read on the tournament's X page.
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"We wish Venus all the best and hope to see her back in Indian Wells in the future."
The American played at both Indian Wells and the Miami Open in her two appearances of 2024, and was in line to feature at the Tennis Garden for the 10th time in her career.
She has reached the last four of the California event three times - in 1998, 2001, and 2018.
Williams lost to Nao Hibino - having been a set to the good - in the California desert last year.
Williams, a seven-time Grand Slam champion herself, had previously stated that she has no intention of fully retiring from tennis anytime soon, unlike her sister Serena, the 23-time major champion and fellow former world No. 1.
This year’s Indian Wells tournament begins on March 2, and will run for a full fortnight.
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Both Williams sisters had previously boycotted the event for 15 years, but Venus broke that boycott back in 2016.
Petra Kvitova, the two-time Wimbledon champion, will make her return from maternity leave after the Czech was also awarded a wildcard into the first of the Sunshine Double stops.
In the men's event, mercurial young Brazilian Joao Fonseca is amongst the wildcards, while Learner Tien, the youngest man to reach the fourth round of the Australian Open since Rafael Nadal in 2005, is also in the draw.
Fonseca won his first title on the ATP Tour at the Argentina Open on Sunday, beating fifth seed and home favourite Francisco Cerundolo in the final.
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