Venus Williams Gets Wild Card for Indian Wells

Venus Williams, a former world number one and seven-time Grand Slam singles champion, has been awarded a wild card entry for the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, marking her 10th appearance at the event. Despite not having played a WTA Tour-level match since March 2024 and slipping to 974th in the world rankings, Williams continues her professional career at 44. The tournament has a complicated history for Williams, who, alongside her sister Serena, boycotted it for 15 years due to an incident involving racial abuse in 2001. Both sisters have since returned, with Venus last competing there in 2024. Other wild-card recipients include Petra Kvitova, returning post-maternity leave, and rising stars Joao Fonseca and Learner Tien. Williams has expressed resilience by continuing to train and share her journey on social media.