Venus Williams given Indian Wells wild card for 2025 BNP Paribas Open in March | Tennis News | Sky Sports
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Venus Williams returned to Indian Wells in 2016 following a 15-year boycott; she now has a wild card for the 2025 WTA 1000 tournament – the BNP Paribas Open; watch all the ATP and WTA events in Dubai, Doha and Rio on Sky Sports Tennis
Wednesday 19 February 2025 19:52, UK
Venus Williams has been handed a wild card for Indian Wells in March
Former world No 1 Venus Williams has been given a wild card for this year’s Indian Wells tournament.
The wild card allows the 44-year-old American to compete at the WTA 1000-level event for the 10th time, with the event running from March 5-16.
The seven-time Grand Slam champion boycotted the tournament for 15 years after fans subjected her younger sister Serena and family to racist abuse during her 2001 final victory over Kim Clijsters.
Venus, whose withdrawal from the semi-final against her sister due to injury that year prompted heckles and jeers from the crowd, returned to the tournament in 2016.
She has reached the semi-finals three times, most recently in 2018, and also played in last year’s event as a wild card.
On the men’s side, 18-year-old Brazilian Joao Fonseca, who won his first ATP title at the Argentina Open on Sunday, was granted a wild card, along with 19-year-old American Learner Tien.
Tien last month became the youngest man to reach the Australian Open fourth round since Rafa Nadal in 2005.
Daniel Dubois vs Joseph Parker and the Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol rematch will be live on Saturday February 22 on Sky Sports Box Office. Book now!
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