# Venus Williams becomes oldest Australian Open women’s singles player

*Event date: 2026-01-18*

Venus Williams is set to become the oldest player ever to appear in the women’s singles draw at the Australian Open, entering the tournament at 45 years and seven months. The milestone comes after she received a wild-card entry to the year’s first major and returns her to Melbourne Park for the first time in five years.

The historical significance is obvious, but the source makes clear that Williams is treating the event as a competitive comeback rather than a ceremonial appearance. She said she had not thought about the age record until it appeared in the press, and then embraced it with her trademark defiance. Williams, a seven-time Grand Slam champion, remains a player who measures herself by effort and attitude more than by the number of years behind her.

The Australian Open has been part of her story since 1998, when she first played it at age 17 and reached the quarterfinals in just her fourth Grand Slam event. This will be her 21st appearance at Melbourne Park, a reminder that her career has stretched across several eras of the women’s tour. The source says she was walking hand in hand with her husband, Andrea Preti, after her pre-tournament press conference, underscoring how personal this comeback has been as well.

Her path back has not been smooth. Williams lost her Grand Slam comeback match at the U.S. Open last August, and she also lost in the first round of warm-up events in New Zealand and Hobart to start 2026. She is ranked 576 because of her limited schedule, but the ranking does not capture her standing in the sport or the attention she still commands.

The first-round match gives the record a live sporting edge. Williams will face Olga Danilovic, a 24-year-old left-hander from Serbia, in the last match on John Cain Arena on Sunday. Danilovic is ranked 68 and is playing her 11th Grand Slam tournament, so the opening round is not a ceremonial matchup. If Williams wins, she could face third-seeded Coco Gauff in the second round.

Williams’s comments suggest she is aware of the gap between reputation and current match sharpness. She said she needs to be kind to herself because she is getting many things right but has lacked match play. That is a measured statement from a player whose career has often been defined by competitive stubbornness. The age record is the headline, but the larger point is that Williams is still trying to win matches at a stage of life when most of her peers are long retired.

Williams’s position in the draw means the record is tied to an actual competitive path, not just a ceremonial appearance. A first-round win would send her toward Coco Gauff, which underlines how far she still has to go against younger top players. Her ranking of 576 reflects her limited schedule, but the source makes clear that she still views match control and point construction as her priorities. The age record is the headline; the tennis is the test.