Snub for Azarenka? Two-time champion misses Australian Open wildcard as Andreescu heads to ITF tournament

Two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka will not be part of the first major of the year, following the announcement of the final wildcard from the organizers. Venus Williams, a two-time finalist, received the last available invitation for the women’s main draw, confirming the absence of Azarenka, as well as former US Open champion Bianca Andreescu, who will play a W35 tournament while the tour focuses on Melbourne.

The former world No. 1 Azarenka has been away from the tour for some time, which caused a significant drop in her ranking. 'Vichka' is currently ranked world No. 144 and therefore did not qualify for direct entry into the first major of the year.

At 36, Azarenka’s season was marked by injuries, which limited her schedule to only a few tournaments. From the clay swing onward, after playing the French Open, she competed in just three events, including Wimbledon and the US Open, with her final tour appearance at Flushing Meadows.

Despite these challenges, Azarenka has shown her competitive spirit and quality as a top-level player. At the US Open, she earned wins over local Hina Inoue and former French Open runner-up Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova before losing in the Round of 32 to Jessica Pegula in straight sets.

The inclusion of Venus Williams in the Australian Open was welcome news for many, bringing the two-time finalist back to Melbourne after five years. The former world No. 1 had not played the Happy Slam since 2021 and will make her return following a successful North American swing, where she delivered strong performances, including a win over world No. 35 Peyton Stearns at the DC Open.

Williams’ return was one of the most talked-about stories during the weeks of tournaments in North America as part of the US Open Series. While many doubted her ability to remain competitive at 45, she showed impressive results in both singles and doubles, even reaching the quarterfinals of the US Open doubles alongside Canadian Leylah Fernandez.

After Williams accepted a wildcard for her appearance at the ASB Classic, speculation grew about a potential Australian Open invitation. That speculation was confirmed this Thursday when the organizers announced her entry. She received the 8th wildcard for the main draw, which also included four local players and emerging tour players who did not secure direct entry—all of whom have never reached the top 100 in their careers.

Victoria Azarenka, by contrast, had a challenging year marked by injuries, which kept her away from her best form during the first half of the season. Her ranking dropped outside the top 100, despite finishing 17 of the last 18 seasons in the top 50 and 14 within the top 30. The only times she fell in the rankings were due to injuries or her career pause in 2017 following maternity leave and an ongoing custody battle for her son, which limited her travel and participation in multiple tournaments for a couple of years.

At 36, Azarenka has not commented on a potential retirement and hopes to return to the courts in 2026, though she will not be able to do so during the Australian swing.

She will not be the only former Grand Slam champion missing a wildcard, as Canadian Bianca Andreescu—currently world No. 225 and also affected by injuries over the past year—will also miss the first major of the year. The 2019 US Open champion opted not to play the qualifiers and will instead travel to the W35 Bradenton starting January 12, the same week the Australian Open qualifiers begin. Andreescu will be the first seed in that tournament, aiming to gain wins and confidence for her upcoming season.