Forty-five-year-old tennis star Venus Williams will return to the Coachella Valley after receiving a wild card to the BNP Paribas Open tournament next month at Indian Wells Tennis Garden.
“I’m so excited to be heading back to Indian Wells and can’t wait to return home to play in California,” Williams said in a statement. “This tournament is always such a special experience and there’s nothing like competing in front of these incredible fans.”
Williams has accepted a wild card — a special invitation granted to a player despite having a ranking too low to qualify or missing the entry deadline or being granted to a player without going through qualifying matches — into the women’s singles and doubles draw.
This year will mark her 10th appearance at the tournament, where she last played in 2024.
Williams is a three-time semi-finalist in singles and will play in the doubles event for the first time since she and her sister, Serena, reached the semi-finals in 2000.
BNP Paribas Open will be held March 1-15 at 78-200 Miles Ave.