Two-time U.S. Open singles champion Venus Williams has received a wildcard entry into this year’s tournament, organisers said on Wednesday, as the 45-year-old American continues her age-defying return to the court. She last played in the U.S. Open singles main draw in 2023, losing in the first round to Belgian Greet Minnen.
The seven-time Grand Slam singles champion had also received a wild-card entry with Reilly Opelka to play mixed doubles beginning Aug. 19. Williams has won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles with her sister Serena and another two in mixed doubles. Along with Williams, fellow Americans Clervie Ngounoue, Julieta Pareja, Caty McNally, Valerie Glozman and Alyssa Ahn are also handed singles main draw wild cards.
On the men’s side, plenty of American names have been handed wildcards. Brandon Holt, Nishesh Basavareddy, Tristan Boyer, Emilio Nava, Stefan Dostanic and Darwin Blanch are the home players to get entry into the main draw, along with France’s Valentin Royer and Australian Tristan Schoolkate.
The legendary elder Williams’ sister became the oldest player to win a WTA singles match since 2004 when she beat Peyton Stearns at last month’s Washington Open after a 16-month absence from competitive tennis. She later lost to Jessica Bouzas Maneiro of Spain 6-4, 6-4 in the first round of the Cincinnati Open.
“Just coming back, not everything’s going to be perfect,” Williams had said then. “From DC, I took a lot of things physically. I played four matches in four days. So in that last week, I really worked on the physical side. And, so after this match, I felt great and that’s a plus.”
The 51st-ranked Bouzas Maneiro, who wasn’t born when Williams won her first four Grand Slam titles, advanced to her first WTA 1000 quarterfinal match last week in Montreal. It was their first meeting.
“She’s a legend,” Bouzas Maneiro said. “This was a privilege. I tried to do my best on court and enjoy every moment. It’s an honor to play against her. She’s an inspiration for young players.” With the crowd on her side, Williams pushed the 22-year-old Spaniard but struggled with her service game.
“She played super well,” Williams, who is one year removed from uterine surgery. “She’s got a great future ahead of her, clearly. I was just trying to figure things out as quickly as I could and I just ran out of time. Walking into this match, I felt good.”
Williams was making her 11th appearance at the Cincinnati Open, where she reached the semifinals in 2012 and quarterfinals in 2019. She has spent 11 weeks ranked No. 1. “I had so much fun out there,” Williams said. “There were moments where I had a lot of chances and there were moments where I was working through the kinks. But there was never a moment where I didn’t go for it.”
Other women’s singles wildcards included France’s Caroline Garcia, in what will likely be the 2022 semi-finalist’s last appearance at Flushing Meadows. The 2022 WTA Finals winner announced plans to retire from the sport earlier this year.
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The prize money at 2025 US Open will rise to nearly $85 million across all competitions this year, including a record $5 million each to the women’s and men’s singles champions, and total player compensation (including costs earmarked for hotel and food and not associated with performance) is $90 million, jumping 20%.
(With AP inputs)
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
