Venus Williams will make her return to tennis at next month's Indian Wells Masters, accepting a wildcard entry at the age of 44.
The seven-time Grand Slam champion has not competed on the WTA Tour since her first-round exit at the Miami Open in March 2024.
The former world No.1 will end her nearly year-long absence when the tournament's main draw begins on March 5 in the California desert.
This marks Williams' latest comeback to the prestigious event, sometimes referred to as the "fifth slam", where she first reached the semi-finals in 1998.
Venus Williams will make her return to tennis at next month's Indian Wells Masters, accepting a wildcard entry at the age of 44
PA
Williams, currently ranked No.974 in the world, has struggled to find form in recent matches.
Her last victory came against Veronika Kudermetova at the Western & Southern Open in August 2023.
Since then, she has suffered defeats to Zheng Qinwen, Greet Minnen, Nao Hibino and Diana Shnaider.
Her most recent appearance at Indian Wells came in 2024, where she exited in the first round after losing to Nao Hibino.
Venus Williams hasn't played tennis since losing in Miami last year
PA
The tournament holds particular significance in the Williams sisters' history, following a controversial episode in 2001.
Venus withdrew from a scheduled semi-final against Serena due to a knee injury, leading to accusations from Elena Dementieva that their father Richard was manipulating match results between his daughters.
Serena faced hostile treatment in the final against Kim Clijsters, with fans booing and whistling throughout.
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In a 2015 Time magazine essay, Serena revealed the racial undertones of the incident, writing: "The false allegations - that our matches were fixed - hurt, cut and ripped into us deeply. The undercurrent of racism was painful, confusing and unfair."
The sisters boycotted the tournament for 15 years, with Venus returning in 2016.
Speaking to the Irish News last October, Williams made it clear she was not ready to end her career.
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"I'm not done with the racquet yet," she stated. "At this point, it's about picking and choosing places I want to be."
The veteran, who turned professional in 1994, emphasised she maintains her high standards even when not competing.
"My game is always at a high level. Even if I'm not on tour, I always keep my game quite high," she said.
Williams also revealed she watches tournaments regularly, though noted: "It's hard to sit in front of the TV, and a lot of times by the time I have time at like 11pm it's a replay."
Venus and Serena Williams boycotted the Indian Wells Masters back in 2001 (pictured at the US Open that year)
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Indian Wells has also awarded wildcards to other notable players for the upcoming tournament.
Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, 34, will make her return to competitive tennis following the birth of her son last year.
In the men's draw, rising teenage talents Joao Fonseca and Learner Tien have received wildcards.
