"I just need to keep going and doing that and earn my stripes" - Venus Williams relishing history-breaking Australian Open return after brace of defeats

Venus Williams is yet to get a win in 2026 after two early exits, but this has not fazed her ahead of the Australian Open, with the seven-time Grand Slam champion excited for a return to Melbourne Park.

She is continuing her comeback into the sport after once again re-appearing on the court back in 2025 when she won on her return in the DC Open. Since then, wins have been hard to come by, but she is still striving to compete and battle out against players on the WTA Circuit, something that she was once one of the best on.

The American has travelled to the other side of the world as she looks to get valuable preparation for the Australian Open. The first event was in the ASB Classic. She faced off against Magda Linette. She put up a strong showing, winning the second set to force a decider. Despite this, the Pole proved to be too strong and ran away with it in the end.

Following the disappointment in Auckland, she has made the trip down to Tasmania to feature in the Hobart International. Unfortunately, she was unable to get the better of the tricky conditions as she lost out 6-4, 6-3 to the number six seed Tatjana Maria.

“The crowd was amazing. Usually I play a really big game and it’s fun to watch,” she said after the match. “I felt I couldn’t play that with the wind. I felt bad I wasn’t able to give that performance I usually give. I was in control until I wasn’t … I just need to keep going and doing that and earn my stripes. I’ve been away a while.”

Williams is highly regarded as one of the best tennis players to step out onto the court. She has won a huge variety of titles and broken countless records. She and her sister, Serena, dominated the sport for a period of time, re-writing the history books.

Now, Williams is set to add another record to her already stacked list. She is set to be the oldest player to feature in the Grand Slam tournament. At the age of 45, she will overtake the previous holder of this record Kimiko Date, with the Japanese player 44 when participating in 2015.

It will also be her 22nd main draw appearance, more than anyone else in the tournament. “So exciting. I can’t wait (to return). I’ll take what I need to learn from this and keep going,” Williams said.

The world number 576 will almost certainly be an underdog heading into the event, but the class and quality she possesses will massively help her out. Williams' longevity in the sport is crystal clear to see, with her still competing in the biggest tournaments on offer.

An example of her longevity is the two Australian Open finals she made. The first came back in 2003 where she was defeated by her sister, Serena, in three sets. 14 years later, the duo again met in the final, where the same result occurred. It was Williams' penultimate Grand Slam final, but proved that she was still good enough to compete among the best.

Eight years later, and she is gearing up for another trip to Melbourne. The tournament will begin from January 18 - February 1, with Williams, along with the other 127 competitiors, finding out their first round tie on January 15.