Venus Williams has been given a wild card for the ASB Classic in Auckland in January.
The 45-year-old was coy on her plans after returning to the tour on home soil in the United States this summer but appeared sceptical about playing events abroad.
However, tournament organisers announced the seven-time grand slam singles champion will travel to New Zealand for the Australian Open warm-up, which begins on January 5.
This content is provided by Twitter, which may be using cookies and other technologies.
To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies.
You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enable Twitter cookies or to allow those cookies just once.
You can change your settings at any time via the Privacy Options.
Unfortunately we have been unable to verify if you have consented to Twitter cookies.
To view this content you can use the button below to allow Twitter cookies for this session only.
Enable Cookies
Allow Cookies Once
Williams marked her return to action for the first time in 16 months victory over Peyton Stearns at the Washington Open in July.
She followed that by going on to play Cincinnati and the US Open, where she reached the quarter-finals of the women’s doubles with Leylah Fernandez.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Venus Williams made a winning return to the sport in the Mubadala Citi DC Open as she and Hailey Baptiste progressed in the Women’s Doubles
Williams has not played a tournament outside North America since appearing on the grass at Birmingham in 2023, while her last outing at the Australian Open, where she is a two-time finalist, was back in 2021.
Watch the ATP and WTA Tour Finals, live on Sky Sports or stream with NOW and the Sky Sports app, giving Sky Sports customers access to over 50 per cent more live sport this year at no extra cost. Find out more here.