Venus Williams Gets US Open Mixed Doubles Wild Card at Age 45

Venus Williams, 45, is preparing to take to the court in a Grand Slam.

The veteran tennis player has secured a wild-card entry into the mixed doubles division at the US Open, as declared by the event on Tuesday. She will partner Reilly Opelka at Flushing Meadows and will be accompanied by other high-profile players like Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, and Iga Swiatek.

This performance represents Williams’ first Grand Slam action since 2023 at the same event. Where she appeared in singles via another wild card but lost in the first round to qualifier Greet Minnen.

Since then, she has mostly been out of action because of health problems, including a surgery for uterine fibroids. Last week, she returned at the D.C. Open, winning her first singles and doubles matches since 2016.

Williams shocked No. 35 Peyton Stearns, a former NCAA champ, before falling to fifth-seeded Magdalena Fręch in round two.

The day Venus Williams recorded her first tour-level singles win since August 2023.

Her doubles partner Opelka is ranked 74th on the ATP Tour. At 27 and 6-foot-11, he’s tied as the tallest in tour history, known for his extremely powerful tennis serve.

Having won 23 Grand Slam titles, Williams has taken seven singles titles, 14 doubles titles, and two mixed doubles titles. She began playing in the US Open back in 1997, reaching the finals in singles at the age of 17. Though she has nothing to prove, she made headlines last week after being asked about her mid-40s tennis comeback.

Venus Williams is back for the health insurance benefits.


Williams provided insight into how professional athletes manage healthcare, stating that she had been on COBRA. Which enables people to continue receiving employer-provided health insurance after losing coverage.

She said: “I returned for the insurance because I was told earlier this year that I’m covered under COBRA benefits. So that’s like, I got to get my benefits on. You guys know how it is. Let me say, I’m always in the doctor’s, so I really need this insurance.”

It is worth mentioning here that Williams was being facetious when she said those words, laughing as she called it a “fun and funny moment” following her second match. Nevertheless, many took her words seriously, and there started being talks of wider healthcare issues.

Medical coverage is a major concern for most retired athletes. Active pros often have great medical insurance, but post-retirement coverage is harder to get after peak earning years end.

After explaining away her light-hearted comment after the match, Williams did admit the gravity of the situation, saying it was an issue “that people are dealing with.” With $42.7 million in career earnings from her WTA pursuits, along with even more from sponsorships, Williams doesn’t have to endure such challenges (unless by way of extreme fiscal mismanagement).

However, if presented with the choice, she would rather have the WTA’s insurance for peace of mind. Nevertheless, it would be disingenuous to imply that she still competes merely for health insurance benefits.

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