Venus Williams, the revered American tennis star, has been absent from the professional sports stage for a year since her last match at the Miami Open in March 2024. Amid the swirling rumors about her potential retirement, Williams asserted she was far from hanging up her racquet. However, as her hiatus extended with no reports of her training sessions, hope amongst her fans waned. A glimmer of hope sparked when Indian Wells announced her wildcard entry for this year’s BNP Paribas Open. Could this be the highly anticipated return of Williams to the courts?
In a surprising turn of events, it was affirmed on Wednesday that Williams had accepted the wildcard for the Indian Wells Masters. Considering her current ranking of 974, she wouldn’t have been eligible for the main draw. Thus, this wildcard could have been a game-changing opportunity for her. The excitement was palpable among her fans, who have been eagerly awaiting her return after her knee injury in the first round of the 2023 Wimbledon against Elina Svitolina. This would have marked her 10th appearance at Indian Wells.
However, just as the celebrations were about to kick off, a new revelation dampened the spirits. As per a tweet from the Tennis Weekly Podcast, Venus Williams, during her stay in Denmark, debunked the news about her wildcard entry as false. She confirmed that she is currently overseas and won’t be participating in the tournament. This comes as a disappointment for fans who were eagerly anticipating her return.
Williams has been quite vocal about her commitment to staying active and training despite her injuries. She even uploaded a workout picture on Instagram hinting at a possible comeback, just before the wildcard announcement. But her relationship with the Indian Wells tournament is not as straightforward.
The history of Williams with the Indian Wells tournament dates back to 2001. It was a year permeated with controversy. Venus had to pull out of her semifinal match due to a knee injury. However, she was spotted watching Serena play Kim Clijsters in the final, which led to a backlash from the crowd. Their father, Richard Williams, faced racial abuse during the match. Despite Serena’s victory, the incident left a deep impact, leading to a 14-year boycott by both sisters. Serena returned to the event in 2015, followed by Venus in 2016.
While speculation continues over her official stand on participating at Indian Wells, one thing is certain – her fans are eager to see her back in action. Notably, her younger sister, Serena, has reportedly declared that Venus is not allowed to retire.
In a touching statement in January 2024, Venus shared, “My little sister, Serena, told me I’m not allowed to quit, and of course, I would never quit. But it’s the mandate. She said no, so I will be back on the court.” Yet, when Serena announced her retirement in September 2022, it unsettled Venus. She candidly admitted how the assumption of her retirement following Serena’s exit troubled her.
Venus has frequently mentioned that she can’t visualize a life without her sister on the court. Therefore, when Serena decided to step back from the sport, it raised speculation that Venus might follow. In a light-hearted comment, she stated, “Serena ruined it for me because as soon as she retired, everybody thought I retired. And sometimes I even think we’re twins. So if you guys did think so we are, we are two separate people born on different days.”
Despite the hurdles, Venus has accepted her future in tennis with grace. Reflecting on her retirement thoughts, she once thought the moment would bring tears, but now she believes, “I won’t cry because I’ve definitely given everything to this sport.” However, the recent news about her possible no-show at the Indian Wells tournament, despite the wildcard entry, has left fans heartbroken. Wouldn’t it have been exhilarating to see her back on the court?