Venus Williams will make her return to Grand Slam singles at the US Open after a two-year absence, having received a wildcard invitation on Wednesday to compete at Flushing Meadows at age 45.<\/p>\n
Williams will be the oldest singles entrant at the tournament since Renee Richards played there at 47 in 1981, according to the International Tennis<\/a> Federation.<\/p>\n The seven-time major singles champion \u2013 including US Open titles in 2000 and 2001 \u2013 already had been given a wildcard for next week\u2019s mixed doubles competition in New York. Singles matches begin 24 August.<\/p>\n Williams last played in a Grand Slam event at the 2023 US Open, losing in the first round. She has not won a singles match there since 2019. Her return to the tour came last month at the DC Open<\/a>, her first match anywhere in 16 months. Asked then if it would be a one-off appearance, Williams replied: \u201cI\u2019m just here for now, and who knows? Maybe there\u2019s more \u2026 I definitely feel I\u2019ll play well. I\u2019m still the same player. I\u2019m a big hitter. This is my brand.\u201d<\/p>\n The comeback follows surgery last year to remove uterine fibroids, which sidelined her for most of the season. In Washington, she became the oldest woman to win a tour-level singles match since Martina Navratilova at Wimbledon in 2004. She also drew headlines for announcing her engagement to an Italian actor and joking that she needed to get back on court for the health insurance.<\/p>\n