Former Grand Slam champion receives wildcard to join Venus Williams at the ATX Open

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Seven-time major champion Venus Williams will head to Texas for the ATX Open later this month.

The 45-year-old legend was given a wildcard to the WTA 250 ATX Open.

Receiving the wild card, Williams told the tournament’s official Instagram account how excited she was to compete.

“I’m so excited to be heading to Austin and playing my first ATX Open,” said Williams.

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“The city has such great energy and I’ve heard the fans are incredible.

“I’m looking forward to playing both singles and doubles in front of such a passionate tennis community.”

She isn’t the only Grand Slam champion set to compete, however, as the 2017 French Open winner has also received a wildcard.

Jelena Ostapenko receives ATX Open wildcard

The ATX Open shared the following announcement on Instagram.

“Wow… the field just keeps getting more insane, Austin,” they said.

“We’re adding another Grand Slam champ to the mix: Jelena Ostapenko!”

Ostapenko won the French Open in 2017, defeating Romania’s Simona Halep in the final.

She hasn’t been able to add to her Grand Slam tally since, though, and has only won two matches on the WTA Tour this year.

Jelena Ostapenko in 2026

• 2026 Brisbane International 1R [LOSS] vs Sorana Cirstea, 2-6, 6-7
• 2026 Adelaide International 1R [LOSS] vs Tereza Valentova, 5-7, 2-3 (RET)
• 2026 Australian Open 1R [WIN] vs Rebecca Sramkova, 6-4, 6-4
• 2026 Australian Open 2R [LOSS] vs Xinyu Wang, 6-4, 4-6, 4-6
• 2026 Abu Dhabi Open 1R [WIN] vs Oksana Selekhmeteva, 5-7, 7-6, 6-2
• 2026 Abu Dhabi Open 2R [LOSS] vs Sara Bejlek, 4-6, 3-6

Having seen Ostapenko struggle in 2026, some fans blamed her need for a wild card on her form.

That’s not the case, however, as Ostapenko’s ranking is easily strong enough for her to qualify for the ATX Open directly.

Snapshot of the WTA Rankings

She simply missed the entry deadline, so the tournament organisers offered her a second chance via a wildcard.

Whether she can make the most of the wildcard and win the title in Texas remains to be seen…

Who won the 2025 ATX Open?

2024 US Open finalist Jessica Pegula travelled to Texas as the number-one seed last year.

Making light work of her first three opponents, Arantxa Rus, Nuria Parrizas Diaz, and Anna Blinkova, Pegula reached the semifinals without dropping more than three games in a set.

However, it was in the semifinals that Pegula had her toughest test of the tournament.

The American was pushed all the way by Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic, surviving a three-setter to win 6-1, 4-6, 6-3.

Then, in the final, Pegula defeated McCartney Kessler, 7-5, 6-2, to clinch her seventh career title.

She’ll return as the top seed in 2025, but it remains to be seen if she can defend her title in a field that includes Grand Slam champions Williams and Ostapenko.

The 2026 ATX Open begins on Monday, February 23.

Where will Jelena Ostapenko compete before the ATX Open?

There’s plenty of tennis to be played this month before the ATX Open begins.

Ostapenko will now travel to Doha for the WTA 1000 Qatar Open.

The Latvian reached the final in Qatar a year ago, losing out to Amanda Anisimova in straight sets, 4-6, 3-6.

She’ll then head to Dubai, where she lost her opening match in 2025.

Set to defend over 650 points this month, Ostapenko will need to make a few deep runs in the Middle East, or else she might need to start asking for wildcards more regularly.

The 2026 Qatar Open is scheduled to begin on Monday, February 9, before the Dubai Tennis Championships start on Monday, February 16.