"The wildcard into the main draw would be useful for many girls" - Yevgeny Kafelnikov disagrees with constant wildcards for Venus Williams

While Venus Williams' return to tennis is celebrated and supported by a lot of people, not everyone is in the same boat about whether she should continue to get wildcards for all the events of her choosing, relying on her name and past to get into tournaments. One of those names is former world number one Yevgeny Kafelnikov, who has called for wildcards to be handed to a younger generation.

This started back in August 2025 when Williams made a triumphant return to the WTA Tour, defeating Peyton Stearns in the first round of the DC Open just after winning her first doubles match back with Hailey Baptiste.

She would go out in the next round of both events, and first round defeats in the Cincinnati Open and US Open were disappointing results for the seven-time Grand Slam champion. She did go on a run in the women's doubles at Flushing Meadows with former singles finalist Leylah Fernandez, going all the way to the quarterfinals before the number one seeds, Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, took them down.

It has felt like the honeymoon period has blown over for the 45-year-old, who is now under pressure to pick up wins. She has been knocked out of the first round in the ASB Classic, Hobart International, Australian Open, ATX Classic and Indian Wells in 2026. Still without a singles win since her first match back, the pressure is firmly on her to get back in the winning enclosure amid scrutiny from many tennis fans.

The two-time Grand Slam champion was not afraid to speak from the heart when talking about Williams. While he did share his utmost respect for the tennis icon, he hinted that her race may be up.

"Have you read Dmitry Tursunov’s telegram? After another Venus Williams defeat," he said on Hard Court. "I have incredible respect for Venus Williams’ achievements. Multiple Grand Slam singles champion, world number one, but it’s time."

He wanted a more efficient way of sending out wildcards, specifically aiming it at the younger generation and offering them a chance to compete in the biggest events in the world.

"The wildcard into the main draw would be useful for many girls," he stated. "The same way Maria Sharapova received one in her time. This wildcard could have been used more productively, and I, in principle, completely agree with him."

Williams will continue to plough on amid her critics constantly judging her every move. She is one of the top talents ready to take centre stage at the Miami Open. Her first round match was supposed to have been played out by now, but the torrid conditions in Florida have meant that the full day of round one action had to be postponed. This included Williams' tie against Brit Francesca Jones being temporarily suspended until the rainy conditions pass.

The third day of action seems to be a lot better, with a whole load of tennis needing to be played out to get back on schedule.