Venus Williams has turned down a wildcard to play at the 2025 WTA Indian Wells tournament, as confirmed by tournament director Tommy Haas. The former world No. 1 was expected to make her first appearance of the year at the WTA 1000 event but has opted to skip the competition.
A statement on the tournament’s official X page said, “Our team has been informed that Venus is not accepting the wildcard this year. We wish Venus all the best and hope to see her back in Indian Wells in the future.”
Williams, who has competed in both the 2024 Indian Wells and Miami Open tournaments, was set to play in California for the 10th time. She has previously reached the semifinals at Indian Wells three times (1998, 2001, and 2018). In 2024, she lost to Nao Hibino after winning the first set.
Despite the setback at Indian Wells, Williams, a seven-time Grand Slam champion, has expressed she has no plans to retire from tennis soon, unlike her sister Serena, the 23-time major champion. The Indian Wells tournament begins on March 2 and will run for two weeks.
Petra Kvitova, the two-time Wimbledon champion, will return from maternity leave after receiving a wildcard for the tournament, and in the men’s draw, rising star Joao Fonseca from Brazil will also play as a wildcard. Learner Tien, who made history by being the youngest man to reach the fourth round at the Australian Open since Rafael Nadal in 2005, is also set to feature in the draw.