Venus Williams, the 45-year-old seven-time Grand Slam singles champion, has accepted a wildcard entry into the ATX Open in Austin, marking her debut at the tournament. She will compete in both singles and doubles at the WTA 250 event starting February 23. The field includes top American players like defending champion Jessica Pegula and rising star Iva Jovic.
Venus Williams returned to the WTA Tour in July 2025 in Washington, D.C., where she defeated Peyton Stearns in her opening match before embarking on a six-match losing streak. Her season began with defeats to Magda Linette in Auckland and Tatjana Maria in Hobart. At the Australian Open, she took a set from Olga Danilovic but lost 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-4 in the first round.
In doubles, Williams has shown promise, reaching the quarterfinals at the 2025 US Open with Leylah Fernandez. This year, she partnered with Elina Svitolina in Auckland and Ekaterina Alexandrova in Melbourne, though both efforts ended in first-round losses.
The ATX Open, held on outdoor hard courts at Westwood Country Club, runs from February 23 to March 1 as part of the WTA's Sunshine Swing. Williams expressed enthusiasm for the event: "I’m so excited to be heading to Austin and playing my first ATX Open. The city has such great energy and I’ve heard the fans are incredible. I’m looking forward to playing both singles and doubles in front of such a passionate tennis community."
Joining her are Jessica Pegula, the reigning champion; Iva Jovic, an Australian Open quarterfinalist; last year's runner-up McCartney Kessler; Ashlyn Krueger; and Peyton Stearns, a local favorite who won the 2022 NCAA title for the University of Texas. Other entrants include Ajla Tomljanović, Xinyu Wang, and Eva Lys, who is recovering from a hyperextended right knee.
Tournament director Christo Van Rensburg highlighted the significance: "With Venus joining the action at Westwood, Year 4 of WTA Tour tennis in Austin puts the world on notice that the Texas Tennis Takeover is only growing. The last three years have delivered thrilling moments and memorable finals, and this year’s tournament will be unlike any we’ve had before."
Williams' participation adds star power to Texas' premier women's professional tennis event, following her Olympic legacy of four golds and one silver.
