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Venus Williams has been handed a wildcard for the Auckland Classic in January. The 45-year-old returned to the sport this summer after spend more than a year away from competition, beating the then world No 35 Peyton Stearns at the Washington Open to become the second-oldest woman to win a tour-level match. She also impressed in the first round of the US Open in an emotional three-set defeat, losing to 11th seed Karolina Muchova after receiving a wildcard into her home major. Williams twice won the US Open singles title during the peak of her career but it was Wimbledon where she shone brightest, winning five times between 2000 and 2008. She never triumphed at the Australian Open or Roland Garros, losing 10 grand slam finals in all, including seven to her sister Serena. The Auckland Classic begins on 5 January, and is typically used by the world’s best players as a warm-up before the Australian Open, which will start on 18 January. The tournament director, Nicolas Lamperin, said: “Venus has had a profound influence on the evolution of women’s tennis and has inspired the next generation with her unshakeable passion for the sport. All sports fans should take this opportunity to watch one of the sport’s all-time greats in action.”
