Venus Williams has been handed a wildcard to compete at this year’s US Open, but that decision should be greeted with some scepticism.
We need to start this analysis by acknowledging the status of Williams as one of the all-time greats of the women’s game, with the impact she has made stretching well beyond the seven Grand Slam singles titles she has won.
Two of those wins came at the US Open in 2000 and 2001, with the last of those successes coming 24 years ago.
That time span alone will raise questions over whether 45-year-old Williams should still be given a free pass to play in the main draw of a Grand Slam singles event, even though she has played just four singles matches since a crushing 6-1, 6-1 defeat against Greet Minnen at last year’s US Open.
The manner of that defeat suggested Williams was no longer competitive at the highest level of the sport and while she did secure first WTA Tour win in almost two years when she beat Peyton Stearns in Washington last month, the presence of this icon in the draw appears to be based more on sentiment than merit.
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Wild cards are given out to former champions and legends of the sport who may need some assistance to get into a draw as they battle back from injury or a time away from the sport, yet that is not the story for Williams.
She has been a part-time tennis player for some time and while her presence could allow US Open organisers to put her on a show court for what may be her last appearance, a rising star of the game has been denied a chance to play at Flushing Meadows to facilitate another appearance from Venus.
Along with her sister Serena, Williams is a giant of the game who has inspired so many young girls to pick up a racket over the last couple of decades, but her desire to extend her career will force a junior hopeful to play in qualifying rather than playing in the main draw at the US Open.
This reality may not sit well with Williams, after she suggested she wanted her legacy to be an inspiration to all the players following in her footsteps.
“As a young person, I wanted to play the game, be a champion,” she said last month. “I loved the game so much, I didn’t realise that it would be so much bigger than myself.
“Seeing these young women doing positive things with their life, winning tournaments, inspiring the next generation, too, it’s like I could have never imagined that. So it’s like icing on the cake, cherries on top with the nuts and all the fixings. It’s beautiful.”
Williams will not be a contender to mount any kind of run at the US Open and that is no surprise at the age of 45, but she will set a record at the US Open as she will be the oldest singles entrant at the tournament since Renee Richards played there at the age of 47 in 1981.
If she turns this appearance at the US Open into a farewell match that will allow the tennis world to bid her a fond farewell, it may be a moment we can all savour.
Yet that scenario has not been promoted by tournament organisers, meaning a prized Grand Slam spot is being taken by a player who may not be competitive in the heat of a Grand Slam battle.
Fellow Americans Clervie Ngounoue, Julieta Pareja, Caty McNally, Valerie Glozman and Alyssa Ahn will also receive singles main draw wild cards, as well as France’s Caroline Garcia, a 2022 semi-finalist, and Australian Talia Gibson.
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