Venus Williams given Australian Open wildcard

Venus Williams has been awarded a wildcard to compete in January's Australian Open at the age of 42.

The American will be back in Melbourne 25 years after her debut in the tournament, which begins on 16 January.

Williams won just three matches in 13 tournaments last season but is yet to show any inclination to follow her sister Serena into retirement.

Williams says she is very excited to be returning to Melbourne, and it will be an honour to play for the fans again.

Williams is ranked 1,007th in the world and her last competitive singles match was a first-round defeat at the US Open in August, having played just four tournaments in 2022.