Venus Williams to train for Australian Open 2023 with warm-up event in Auckland, receives wildcard for WTA 250 event

Former World No. 1 Venus Williams has been awarded a wildcard entry into the ASB Classic tournament which is set to commence on January 2, 2023 in Auckland, New Zealand. Williams last played at the Auckland Open in 2021 and has remained one of the most prominent figures in the tournament, winning the title back in 2015.

There was a lot of speculation about the American's retirement after the 2022 US Open. However, Venus Williams recently declared that she will be back in action on the court. With her introduction into the 2023 ASB Classic, the 42-year-old will be keen to stay active in the upcoming season.

RNZ, a public broadcaster based in New Zealand, took to Twitter on Wednesday to share the news of Venus Williams' wildcard entry.

"Seven-time Grand Slam winner Venus Williams has been given a wildcard entry into next month's ASB Classic in Auckland," RNZ wrote in their tweet.

In an official statement released by ASB Classic, tournament director Nicolas Lamperin expressed his delight upon having the seven-time Grand Slam singles champion in the tournament.

"We are absolutely thrilled to have one of the greatest players returning to the ASB Classic," he stated.

"Venus [Williams] is not just one of the best players in the history of the sport, but she loves it here in New Zealand. When her agent contacted us, we were more than pleased to offer her a wildcard into the ASB Classic. She loves it here in New Zealand and Auckland in particular, and the fans here love her," Lamperin added.

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"The tournament and fans always make me feel welcome" - Venus Williams on taking part in the ASB Classic

Venus Williams at the 2022 US Open

Venus Williams is thrilled to take part in the upcoming 2023 Auckland Open as she will be in action for the first time in four months.

As per the official statement released by ASB Classic, the 42-year-old expressed happiness at being able to kickstart the new season in Auckland as she stated that fans there always make her feel welcome.

"I'm looking forward to playing my first tournament of the season in Auckland. The tournament and fans always make me feel welcome and I'm excited to compete there in January," said Williams.

Amidst the entry to the ASB Classic, Williams also opened up about taking part in the 2023 Australian Open. In a statement released by WTA Tennis, the American was quoted saying:

"I am very excited to be returning to Melbourne to compete at the Australian Open in January. I’ve been competing in the country for over 20 years now and the Australian community has always supported me wholeheartedly. It will be an honor to play for the fans again and I’m looking forward to making more memories at the tournament this year," she asserted.