Venus Williams confirms missing Australian Open 2024, reveals comeback plans

Venus Williams has outlined her plans for the 2024 tennis season, which will see her skip the Australian Open at the start of the year.

Williams has had a tough 2023 campaign, having failed to make it past the second round in any tournament. She began her season at the ASB Classic in Auckland, where she lost to Lin Zhu in the Round of 16.

An injury picked up there meant she was forced to skip the Asia-Pacific Major and a slew of tournaments in the months after.

She returned to action at the start of the grass swing at the Libema Open in June, where she made an opening-round exit after defeat to Celine Naef. At the Rothesay Classic, she beat Camila Giorgi before losing to Jelena Ostapenko in the Round of 16.

At the Wimbledon Championships, which has been a happy hunting ground for Williams over the years, she lost to Elina Svitolina in straight sets in the first round.

The American former World No. 1 was last seen in action during the North American hardcourt swing, where she took part in the Canadian Open, Cincinnati Open, and the US Open. Her only win across the three events came in Cincinnati against Veronika Kudermetova.

Williams has now confirmed that she injured herself at Wimbledon this year and was not at her best in the tournaments after. She disclosed that she is working towards getting fit again and that she will return to action in March next year.

"I had a crazy fall at Wimbledon. I just slipped and I was out. I tried my best to recover for the US Open. I did not reach my form so now I am just resting until I get back. I am targeting March, that's when the tournaments go back to the States, so my goal is to be up and running when tournaments come back to the US," she said in a video posted on X (formerly Twitter).

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Patrick Mouratoglou hails Serena and Venus Williams' impact, calls them an inspiration to the world

Serena Williams and Venus Williams at the 2022 US Open.

Renowned French tennis coach Patrick Mouratoglou lauded Serena and Venus Williams for their role in diversifying the sport and motivating countless individuals around the world.

Mouratoglou, who coached Serena Williams for more than 10 years, said that the Williams sisters not only created avenues for people of color but also became global icons of inspiration.

"I think Serena and Venus Williams inspired a lot of African Americans and black people in general because before them it was difficult for people of color to imagine themselves in that place," he told CNN.

"They really opened a big gate for people of colour. Winning Grand Slams and making history like the two of them did, you start to think 'It's possible for me too.' That's the inspiration, that's what it's like. They're an inspiration to the world," he added.