43-year-old Venus Williams gets wild card to play singles at Wimbledon

NEW DELHI: Venus Williams, the 43-year-old American tennis player, has received a wild-card entry for the singles draw at Wimbledon, marking her 24th appearance at the prestigious tournament.
With her five previous Wimbledon singles titles and a runner-up finish in 2017, Williams has a remarkable history at the grass-court major since her debut two decades ago.
Despite her current ranking at 697th in the world, Williams showcased her enduring skill by defeating the 48th-ranked Camila Giorgi in a thrilling match at the Birmingham Classic.The hard-fought victory, with a score of 7-6 (5), 4-6, 7-6 (6), marked her first win against a top 50 player in nearly four years.

The seven-time Grand Slam champion next plays Jelena Ostapenko at the Wimbledon warm-up event.
Williams' younger sister Serena is a seven-time Wimbledon champion. Serena Williams lost in the first round at last year's tournament and soon after announced her decision to step away from tennis.
Ukrainian player Elina Svitolina and British players Heather Watson and Katie Boulter were also given wild cards for the women's draw. David Goffin, a Belgian who reached the Wimbledon quarterfinals in 2019 and 2022, was among the men given wild cards.
Wimbledon begins on July 3.
(With AP Inputs)