By Richard Pagliaro | @TennisNow | Sunday, February 23, 2025
Photograph credit score: Matthew Calvis
The BNP Paribas Open awarding Venus Williams a wild card thrilled the tennis world and amused Venus herself.
That is as a result of the previous world No. 1 says she’s not taking part in Indian Wells subsequent month.
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The 44-year-old Venus, who has been in Europe lately for vogue occasions and promotional appearances, was requested in the present day if she was taking part in Indian Wells.
Williams instructed a crowd in Denmark at “An Night with Venus Williams” she has no plans to play Indian Wells.
The five-time Wimbledon winner stated she will likely be abroad when the BNP Paribas Open, set for March 2-16 on the Indian Wells Tennis Backyard, is contested.
“No, I am not taking part in,” Williams stated. “Really, I discovered the announcement tremendous amusing as a result of, I do not know, individuals appear to be completely satisfied, so I used to be like, ‘Perhaps I will simply go along with it, I do not know.’ I am truly not going.
“I will be abroad. I am not going to be [there] … I simply had a participant textual content me in the present day too, like, ‘Are you able to play doubles?’ [But] I am not taking part in. “I came upon concerning the wild card once you guys did. Simply saying.
“And I really like Indian Wells, I might like to be there and if I may have accepted it, I might have been like, ‘Sure.’ However I already made commitments.”
EXCLUSIVE: Venus Williams talking in Denmark confirms that the story that got here out final week that she had accepted a wild card to play singles at Indian Wells is “not true”. She is abroad and won’t be taking part in. pic.twitter.com/z0cNQxujcW
— Tennis Weekly Podcast (@tennisweeklypod) February 23, 2025
The proprietor of 49 profession titles, Venus Williams performed the 2024 Indian Wells bowing to qualifier Nao Hibino 6-2, 3-6, 0-6. In her final Tour-level match, Williams misplaced to world No. 62 Diana Shnaider, 3-6, 3-6, on the Miami Open.
As of tonight, Sunday, February twenty third, the official BNP Paribas Open web site nonetheless has Venus Williams listed as a wild card on its 2025 player entry list page.
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