Venus joins US Open as mixed doubles wild card

NEW YORK — Venus Williams’ comeback is headed to the US Open subsequent month, when she is going to enter the redesigned combined doubles event with Reilly Opelka by way of a wild-card entry.

Williams, 45, who returned to the tennis tour final week after greater than a yr away, and Opelka had been among the many 14 groups introduced Tuesday by the U.S. Tennis Affiliation for its combined doubles occasion Aug. 19-20.

Eight of the pairings acquired direct entry into the sector primarily based on having the best mixed present singles rankings, and 6 got wild playing cards by the USTA.

The gamers with spots within the bracket embody 9 who’ve received a minimum of one Grand Slam singles title and 14 who’re ranked within the WTA or ATP prime 10 for singles.

The eight duos with direct entry are No. 11 Emma Navarro and No. 1 Jannik Sinner; No. 10 Paula Badosa and No. 5 Jack Draper; No. 3 Iga Swiatek and No. 13 Casper Ruud; No. 12 Elena Rybakina and No. 4 Taylor Fritz; No. 7 Amanda Anisimova and No. 9 Holger Rune; Belinda Bencic and No. 3 Alexander Zverev; No. 4 Jessica Pegula and No. 15 Tommy Paul; No. 5 Mirra Andreeva and No. 14 Daniil Medvedev.

Badosa initially had sought a spot within the subject with Stefanos Tsitsipas, whereas Draper initially was going to play alongside Zheng Qinwen.

Along with Williams-Opelka, the wild-card entrants are Emma Raducanu and No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz; No. 8 Madison Keys and Frances Tiafoe; Olga Danilovic and No. 6 Novak Djokovic; Taylor Townsend and No. 7 Ben Shelton; and final yr’s US Open combined doubles champions, Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori.

A complete of 16 duos will likely be competing for the $1 million prime prize; the final two wild-card pairs will likely be recognized at a later date.

It’s nonetheless doable that Williams will ask for, and obtain, a wild-card entry for singles. These are anticipated to be introduced by the USTA the week of Aug. 11.

She received one match every in singles and doubles on the D.C. Open in Washington final week after not competing wherever because the Miami Open in March 2024. She was additionally awarded a wild-card entry final week for subsequent month’s Cincinnati Open.

Williams owns seven Grand Slam titles in singles, 14 in girls’s doubles — all received along with her youthful sister Serena — and two in combined doubles.