At 45, Venus Williams Is 'Up For The Challenge' At Australian Open: 'This Is Greatest...'

Last Updated:January 17, 2026, 13:11 IST

Venus Williams returns to Melbourne Park with a Tennis Australia wildcard for the Australian Open, aiming to prove herself against Olga Danilovic.

Venus Williams will take on Olga Danilovic in the opening round of Australian Open (Picture credit: AP)

Seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams has said that she is grateful to Tennis Australia for handing her a wild card entry into the Australian Open, adding that Down Under is the best place to play the sport.

Williams is back at Melbourne Park for the first time in five years and said that she was grateful to have the opportunity to prove she still has what it takes.

Williams, now ranked 576, faces 68th-ranked Olga Danilovic of Serbia in the first round on Sunday, January 18, after being handed a wildcard.

Williams has played only sporadically in recent years and lost in the first round of both of her warm-up tournaments.

“I am super, super grateful for the opportunity from Tennis Australia. Grateful for the opportunity to play in front of the fans. I have just received so much support in the tournaments leading up, walking around the city and everything," Williams said ahead of the Australian Open.

“I hope to play my best," Williams added.

A five-time Wimbledon champion, she was an Australian Open singles finalist in 2003 and 2017 and won the doubles title four times alongside her sister Serena.

“This is the greatest place on Earth to play. I have had amazing memories here. I love challenges, so I am up for the challenge," Williams said.

When the media asked her about going past Japan’s Kimiko Date, who was 44 when she lost in the first round in 2015, Williams laughed: “I had not thought about it until it came out in the press, so yay, yay for me."

“Let’s do this," Williams said.

In her Australian Open debut, she faced her younger sister Serena in the second round, their first-ever professional meeting and won. Williams went on to lose in the quarterfinals to world No. 3 Lindsay Davenport.

In 1998, Venus Williams partnered with Justin Gimelstob to capture the mixed doubles titles at both the Australian Open and the French Open.

News sports tennis At 45, Venus Williams Is 'Up For The Challenge' At Australian Open: 'This Is Greatest...'

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