Venus Williams adds U.S. Open singles return to milestone 2026 season
TheGrio...
The 46-year-old tennis legend will return to singles competition in New York after recently reuniting on court with her sister.
Venus Williams will return to the U.S. Open singles draw after receiving a wild card for the 2026 tournament at Flushing Meadows.The wildcard gives the 46-year-old another chance at the major where she won back-to-back singles titles in 2000 and 2001, following her recent doubles reunion with Serena Williams and a season that also included a French Open return.
Reuters reported that tournament organizers awarded Williams a women’s singles main-draw wild card on Tuesday. The seven-time Grand Slam singles champion was eliminated in the first round of last year’s U.S. Open by Karolina Muchova.
Williams enters this year’s tournament after returning to doubles with Serena at the Cincinnati Open on Monday, their first match together since the 2022 U.S. Open. The sisters lost to Marta Kostyuk and Peyton Stearns in a match tiebreak after rallying from six points down.
The 2026 season has kept Williams active across several events as she extends one of the longest careers in professional tennis. Earlier this year, she returned to the French Open for the first time in five years, competing in doubles with fellow American Hailey Baptiste.
Williams has won seven Grand Slam singles titles, including five at Wimbledon and two in New York. She has also collected 14 major women’s doubles titles alongside Serena and four Olympic gold medals across singles and doubles.
The U.S. Open also awarded a women’s singles wild card to 2017 champion Sloane Stephens, who is continuing her comeback after a foot injury disrupted her 2025 season. Tournament organizers said one women’s singles wild card remains to be announced.
On the men’s side, French veteran Gael Monfils received a main-draw wild card as he prepares to retire at the end of the season. Monfils and his wife, Elina Svitolina, were also granted mixed doubles wild cards.
The singles main draws begin Aug. 30 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York.