Venus Williams’ comeback tour across 2025 was great to watch, and has left many pining for her continued presence on the WTA Tour heading into the new year.
And whilst the superstar American has confirmed some events, her answer on whether she plans to feature at the Australian Open remains undisclosed.
Clearly waiting for the right time to make an announcement, the 45-year-old would almost certainly be welcomed back to Grand Slam tennis with open arms at any event she wanted.
Most recently, she shocked many by returning to push Karolina Muchova into a deciding third set at the US Open, whilst also reaching the quarter-finals of the mixed doubles too.
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She continues to defy the odds, and the tennis world is desperate to know if she’ll try and do it again in Melbourne early next year.
Venus Williams gives answer on whether she’ll play at the Australian Open this year
However, before that return to competitive tennis, Venus Williams has been enjoying playing at the exhibition level against some of the highest-ranked compatriots.
Featuring alongside Taylor Fritz, Madison Keys and Frances Tiafoe, this quartet put on a show at the Charlotte Invitational, showcasing what the past, present and future of American tennis have to look forward to.
What was most interesting about this particular exhibition, however, was the line of questioning that came just before one match.
With all four lined up on a table, one reporter singled out Venus and pointedly asked if we can expect to see her in Melbourne this year.
Her answer was short and rather sheepish, simply replying: “Well, for now I can only confirm Auckland. We’ll see what happens after. And, of course, tonight.”
Elsewhere, Venus Williams spoke about Serena Williams’ potential comeback earlier this week too, in a story that has dominated the tennis world.
Venus Williams has not been truly active in nearly seven years
It feels weird that Williams seems ready to be a relatively active force on the tennis tour once again, given she has not really been consistently present since 2019.
After all, that marked the last year where she played over 12 singles matches in one campaign, having most recently made four appearances in 2025, two in 2024 and ten in 2023.
It would seem like she is content with fading into the background, although whenever she does return to the court, the interest she commands is overwhelming.
Her mere presence in Washington overshadowed everything else going on around her, filling stadiums just for her doubles matches whilst other high-profile clashes were pushed to the wayside.
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Venus’ star power is undeniable, and so to see her planning to start the new year with a tournament straight away bodes well for our chances of seeing her regularly playing once again.
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