Venus Williams, aged 46, has been awarded a wildcard entry into the main women’s singles draw at the 2026 US Open, which begins on Sunday, August 30, 2026 [1]. Williams is a two-time US Open singles champion, having won the title in 2000 and 2001 [1, 2, 3].
Williams has struggled to find singles success in recent years, with her last Grand Slam singles match win coming at Wimbledon in 2021. At the 2025 US Open, she was eliminated in the first round by Karolina Muchova [1, 2, 3]. Nonetheless, she made headlines in July 2026 when she became the oldest player to win a WTA singles match since 2004, winning at the Washington Open after a 16-month singles absence [4].
On August 16, Venus teamed up with her sister Serena Williams in doubles at the Cincinnati Open. The pair lost a close three-set match in the first round [1, 2, 3, 5]. Serena has not yet confirmed her participation in the 2026 US Open singles, and one women’s singles wildcard remains unfilled [1, 2, 3, 5].
Alongside Venus, the 2017 US Open singles champion Sloane Stephens received a wildcard as part of her comeback following a foot injury [1, 2, 3, 5]. Other women’s singles wildcards include Caroline Garcia, who has announced her retirement plans for 2026 [4]. On the men’s side, Gael Monfils, retiring at the end of 2026, also received a wildcard [2, 3, 5].
The US Open’s main singles draw will officially start on August 30, with Venus Williams set to compete among the field [1].
