Venus Williams receiving a wildcard for the Australian Open has divided opinion.
Williams has not won a Grand Slam match since 2021, leading to some criticising the Australian Open for giving the 45-year-old a wildcard.
However, the seven-time Grand Slam champion has also received a lot of support, with Coco Gauff reacting positively to Williams’ wildcard.
Andy Roddick has also defended Williams, and now former world number one Kim Clijsters has given her verdict on the Australian Open’s decision.
Kim Clijsters gives her verdict on Venus Williams’ Australian Open wildcard
Williams lost her first match of 2026 against Magda Linette at the ASB Classic, prior to Clijsters speaking about her on the Love All Podcast.
Clijsters won her second Grand Slam title as a wildcard at the 2009 US Open, and is also a former Australian Open champion, with the Belgian supportive of the decision to award Williams entry into the Melbourne major.
“What to me stands out the most is her joy on the tennis court,” said Clijsters. “I felt that at the US Open already, it’s just so much fun to see her play, be happy out there, to be competing so hard, still. She’s such a great champion.
“She just got married, I think we’ve all seen the pictures from Vogue, she looked beautiful, happy, and she’s still carrying that with her on the road.
“To see her healthy, I’m really excited to watch her play, and there are a few players, for me, from my generation, that I love to watch that are still out there competing and she’s one of them. She’s great to watch, has big weapons, has that long wingspan where she can still cover the court, maybe she’s not as fast as she used to be, but she can still cover the court very well and better than some of the players that are out there now who are a lot younger than her.
“So, it will be very interesting to watch, and that’s what it’s all about. I love seeing all the different, the new up-and-coming players and then having somebody like Venus in the draw, and seeing them compete against each other is what I love to watch as a tennis fan.”
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Williams will be making her 22nd appearance at the Australian Open this year, where she will become the oldest woman ever to compete in the main draw.
While she has made many appearances at the tournament, Williams has not competed at the Australian Open since 2021.
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It is also one of the two Grand Slam tournaments where Williams has not won the title, having twice reached the final in 2003 and 2017.
| Year | Venus Williams’ Australian Open Result |
| 1998 | Quarterfinal |
| 1999 | Quarterfinal |
| 2001 | Semifinal |
| 2002 | Quarterfinal |
| 2003 | Final |
| 2004 | Third Round |
| 2005 | Fourth Round |
| 2006 | First Round |
| 2008 | Quarterfinal |
| 2009 | Second Round |
| 2010 | Quarterfinal |
| 2011 | Third Round |
| 2013 | Third Round |
| 2014 | First Round |
| 2015 | Quarterfinal |
| 2016 | First Round |
| 2017 | Final |
| 2018 | First Round |
| 2019 | Third Round |
| 2020 | First Round |
| 2021 | Second Round |
Before heading to Melbourne, Williams is scheduled to compete at the WTA 250 tournament in Hobart after receiving a wildcard.
After competing in Hobart, Williams will make her Australian Open return, with the main draw getting underway on Sunday, January 18.
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