Venus Williams accepts wild-card invitation to play in DC Open, ex-world No. 1's first event in over a year

Williams, 45, last played in an official capacity in the 2024 Miami Open

Venus Williams has accepted a wild-card invitation to play singles at the 2025 Mubadala Citi DC Open, which will start on July 19. 

The tournament will be the 45-year-old's first in over a year. Williams' last official match was the Miami Open back in March 2024. This will be Williams' first appearance in the DC Open since 2022. 

"There's something truly special about D.C.: the energy, the fans, the history," Williams said in a statement, via USA Today. "This city has always shown me so much love, and I can't wait to compete there again."

A seven-time Grand Slam champion, Williams had received a wild-card entry for BNP Paribas Open back in February, but she later clarified she had not committed to playing in the event. She is currently listed as an "inactive" player on her WTA website profile page. 

Williams has not played in a Grand Slam event 2023, when she lost in the first round at Wimbledon after she sustained a knee injury. In 2011, Williams announced that she had been diagnosed with Sjögren's Syndrome, an autoimmune disease. 

The older sister of 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams, Venus Williams' career includes five Wimbledon and two US Open victories. Williams, who was tabbed as the world's No. 1 singles player in February 2022, holds a career singles record of 818-279. Venus and Serena have won 22 doubles titles together that includes 14 Grand Slam titles and three Olympic Gold medals. 

"She has inspired people around the world with her accomplishments on the court and her visionary impact off the court," said Mark Ein, chairman of the Mubadala Citi DC Open. "I know how much it means to our D.C. fans and community to be able to watch her compete in person this summer."