Tennis Fans React as Venus Williams Receives US Open Wild Card at 46

Venus Williams is poised to make another memorable appearance at the US Open, with the tennis great preparing for her 26th trip to the New York Grand Slam she has captured twice.

The 46-year-old American was awarded one of the eight women’s singles wild cards for the Flushing Meadows tournament on Tuesday.

Her entry makes her the oldest player in the US Open singles draw since Renee Richards competed at age 47 in 1981, according to the International Tennis Federation.

A seven-time Grand Slam singles champion, Williams also received a wild card last year as she made her way back to the event for the first time since 2023.

Williams made her US Open debut 29 years ago, announcing herself on one of tennis’s biggest stages by reaching the singles final in 1997.

She later claimed two of her seven major singles titles at Flushing Meadows, winning back-to-back US Open crowns in 2000 and 2001.

Sloane Stephens, the 2017 US Open champion, was one of six other women to receive a wild card, and the US Tennis Association said the final one is still to be announced.

That almost certainly would go to Serena Williams, if she decides she wants to return to the tournament at 44.

However, many tennis fans were left in uproar with many believing the wild card spot should have gone to a younger player over Venus. 

One fan wrote on X: ‘Another year of wasting wild cards…’  

‘Venus does not deserve WCs any more,’ claimed another. ‘So glad that Fedal understands how to retire gracefully.’

‘I will get criticized for this but Venus doesn’t deserve a wildcard. A young female player deserves the spot,’ added a third. 

‘Complete waste and denying a up and coming player much needed experience,’ echoed a fourth. 

Another wrote: ‘What a complete waste, she’s stealing someone else’s place.. she’s washed up and will get beat in two sets whoever she plays #embarrassing.’

‘Serena doesn’t deserve a WC after what she pulled at Wimbledon not even doing press after. Totally disrespectful. And Venus needs to stop taking WC spots as well.’ one social media user said.

Venus has continued to play some singles matches and this week joined Serena for their first doubles tournament together since the 2022 US Open. They lost Monday at the Cincinnati Open in a match tiebreaker against Marta Kostyuk and Peyton Stearns.

The sisters planned to play at Wimbledon but had to withdraw after Serena injured her knee in her singles match. That marked her first time playing singles since the 2022 US Open, and she indicated afterward that she hoped to keep competing if healthy.

Headlining the wild-card recipients on the men’s side were 39-year-old Gael Monfils, a past US Open semifinalist who is set to play his final Grand Slam tournament before retiring, and Australian Alexei Popyrin, who upset Novak Djokovic in 2024 on the way to the fourth round.

One spot is also being held among the eight men’s wild cards. Stan Wawrinka, the 2016 champion at Flushing Meadows who at 41 is playing his final season, could be a candidate for that.

Also receiving women’s wild cards were Carol Young Suh Lee, Reese Brantmeier, Thea Frodin, Leolia Jeanjean and Taylah Preston.

The other men receiving wild cards were two-time reigning NCAA singles champion Michael Zheng, Martin Damm, J.J. Wolf, Sebastian Gorzny and Jack Kennedy.

Kei Nishikori, the 2014 US Open runner-up who also is retiring, was given a wild card into the men’s qualifying tournament, along with Jordan Lee, Trevor Svajda, Andre Ilagan, Spencer Johnson, Michael Antonius, Andrew Johnson and Daniel Milavsky.

Women given spots in the qualifying tournament were Caroline Dolehide, Janae Preston, Katrina Scott, Ayana Akli, Annika Penickova, Julieta Pareja, Kristina Penickova and Savannah Broadus.

The main draw begins August 30, with the qualifying tournaments being played earlier that week.