American tennis legend Venus Williams will return to the court in her 33rd consecutive WTA season when she competes at the ASB Classic in January 2026, the tournament announced on Wednesday.
Williams, aged 45, made her professional debut in 1994 at Oakland and has played in at least two WTA tournaments each year since then. In July this year she ended a 16-month hiatus, returning to action for the North American hard-court swing. She claimed her first Top 50 win since 2023 over Peyton Stearns in Washington and pushed eventual quarter-finalist Karolína Muchová to three sets in the US Open first round.
Currently ranked No. 570, Williams is the oldest player on the WTA rankings list — five years older than 40-year-olds Naoko Eto and Bethanie Mattek-Sands.
A Triumphant Return to Auckland
Williams is a former Auckland champion — she clinched the 46th of her 49 career titles there in 2015 by defeating Caroline Wozniacki in the final — and will be making her sixth appearance at the tournament. She was also a finalist in 2013 and quarter-finalist in 2018.
The 2026 ASB Classic lineup will also feature former world No. 1 Naomi Osaka, 17-year-old Guadalajara champion Iva Jović, and New Zealand No. 1 Lulu Sun, who recently reached her second career WTA final in Guangzhou.
Tournament Director and Venus Share Their Excitement
Tournament director Nicolas Lamperin said: “She is one of the great players in the modern era and her performances on the court speak for themselves. Off the court she has made an equally significant contribution to the game and to the development of female players worldwide.”
Williams commented on her comeback by saying: “Where I am at this year is so much different to where I was at last year. It’s night and day, being able to prepare for the tournament as opposed to preparing for surgery a year ago.”
The ASB Classic takes place from January 5 to 11, 2026, in Auckland.
With her return, Venus Williams not only adds a major headline to next year’s early-season tennis calendar but also underscores an exceptional era of longevity in sports. Her commitment to 33 straight WTA seasons invites fans and analysts alike to witness one of the sport’s all-time greats on court yet again.
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