"There is no formula": Rick Macci hits back at critics for criticising Venus Williams for receiving wildcard entry at DC Open

Former world number one Venus Williams continues to divide opinion. At the age of 45, Venus returned to the court after a gap of more than 12 months and featured in the doubles category match at the DC Open. She and her partner Hailey Baptiste came out on top in straight sets with a score of 6-3, 6-1 against the pair of Canada’s Eugenie Bouchard and Clervie Ngounoue. Venus is not only taking part in the doubles event in the ongoing competition. She will feature in the singles category match on Tuesday against fellow countrywoman Peyton Stearns.

Before entering the competition, Venus and the tournament organisers received a lot of backlash for giving a wildcard entry to the player who had not played any tennis for over 12 months. Many people on social media raised their voices against what they believed was an injustice to younger, hungrier players who are still waiting for their chance to feature in big events. Venus’ former coach Rick Macci has now come out in support of the seven-time Grand Slam winner. Macci stated that there is no particular formula for giving a wildcard entry and insisted that it remains the prerogative of the organisers to decide which player should participate in the competition and who can attract more viewers.

"People chirping the Vee does not deserve a WILDCARD into the tournament,” wrote Macci in a post on X. “Wildcards are for the tournaments to decide what sell tickets/ get eyeballs. Nobody deserves a WILDCARD. There is no formula who gets the CARD but VEE will dive in and try Hard. @Venuseswilliams.”

That criticism, however, did not deter Venus, who went about her business and showcased why she managed to win seven Grand Slam titles in her illustrious career. Talking after the match, Venus stated that she trained ‘for months’ to be prepared to take the court and produce the goods in front of a great crowd. Venus also stated that it was ‘nice’ to play in the competition just a year after going through surgery to remove fibroids from her uterus.

"It's just nice to be able to play,” said Venus. “Where I am at this year is so much different where I was at last year. It's night and day, being able to be here and prepare for the tournament as opposed to preparing for surgery a year ago. At the end of the day, it doesn't really matter if your health is not there. So, it definitely put it in perspective for me and maybe made it easier to make the decision to maybe come back out here and maybe play even freer. I have been training for months to get to this moment.”

Her partner, Baptiste, also spoke to the media after the match and shared how special it was to share the court with one of the best players of her generation. "The crowd was insane,” said Baptiste. “From the moment we stepped out of the players area, you could kind of feel the buzz. Walking onto the court, just felt all the love for the both of us. I was obviously very nervous to play with her. I didn't want to let her down; first match back and everything."

Venus's opponent on the day, Bouchard, was also at a loss for words to describe Venus’ greatness. The 31-year-old, who is set to retire from professional tennis next week, called Venus a ‘legend’ of the game. "She's 14 years older than me and still plugging away," said Bouchard. "I have nothing but respect for her. She's such a legend. That was a pretty cool crowd for a doubles match."