The legendary Venus Williams will compete in a record 33rd consecutive WTA season when she takes to the court in 2026. The seven-time major champion will return to the ASB Classic in January, the tournament announced on Wednesday.
Williams, 45, made her professional debut at Oakland in 1994, and has played in at least two WTA tournaments every year since. In July, she ended a 16-month hiatus to return to action for the North American hard-court swing, claiming her first Top 50 win since 2023 over Peyton Stearns in Washington and taking eventual quarterfinalist Karolina Muchova to three sets in the US Open first round. At No. 570, Williams is the oldest player to currently hold a WTA ranking — five years older than 40-year-olds Naoko Eto (No. 1,202) and Bethanie Mattek-Sands (No. 1,114).
Williams is a former Auckland champion — she won the 46th of her 49 career titles there in 2015, defeating Caroline Wozniacki in the final — and will be making her sixth appearance at the tournament. She was also a finalist in 2013 and a quarterfinalist in 2018.
The ASB Classic’s 2026 lineup will also feature another former World No. 1 in Naomi Osaka, this year’s runner-up; 17-year-old Guadalajara champion Iva Jovic; and New Zealand No. 1 Lulu Sun, who reached her second career WTA final two weeks ago in Guangzhou.
AloJapan.com