Venus Williams has been granted a wild-card entry for the BNP Paribas Open, making it her first tournament in almost a year. The seven-time Grand Slam singles champion, now 44, hasn’t competed on tour since a first-round loss at the Miami Open on March 19, 2024, just under two weeks after a first-round exit at Indian Wells.
Williams first competed at Indian Wells in 1994 and has since won five singles titles at Wimbledon and two at the U.S. Open, along with 14 Grand Slam doubles titles with her younger sister, Serena.
Other wild-card recipients announced include two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, who is returning to competition after a 15-month break for the birth of her first child, and teenagers João Fonseca and Learner Tien. Fonseca, 18, recently claimed his first ATP title at the Argentina Open, while 19-year-old Tien reached the fourth round of the Australian Open in January.
The BNP Paribas Open is scheduled to take place from March 2-16.