Venus Williams Gets Indian Wells Wild Card
Bianca Andreescu and Sloane Stephens join Venus Williams as high-profile wild card entries for the upcoming BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells. At age 45, Venus spent a week competing at the ATX Open in Austin, Texas, drawing crowds and celebrating the enduring appeal of one of tennis's most iconic athletes.
Seven-time Grand Slam singles champion Venus Williams' return to Indian Wells marks her 10th career appearance at the tournament. This wild card allows her to compete in both the singles and doubles draws. The BNP Paribas Open is a top-tier mandatory event for most players, but a wild card grants direct entry to those whose rank isn't high enough to qualify automatically. Williams has a complicated history with the Indian Wells tournament. She and her sister Serena boycotted the event for 14 years following a controversial incident in 2001 where they faced racist taunts from the crowd after Venus withdrew from a semifinal match against her sister due to injury. Serena returned in 2015, with Venus following in 2016. At 45 years old, Venus continues to be a significant draw in the world of tennis. Her career includes 49 WTA singles titles, five Wimbledon singles championships, and two US Open singles titles. She first reached the world No. 1 ranking on February 25, 2002, becoming the first African-American woman to do so in the Open Era. In recent years, Williams has played a limited schedule. Her last appearance at Indian Wells was in 2024, also as a wild card recipient. This wild card provides another opportunity for the tennis legend to compete at one of the biggest combined ATP and WTA tour events in the world.
