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Venus Williams, a mostly plant-based athlete, has been given a wildcard to return to the US Open singles tennis tournament this year.
It has also been reported that her sister, Serena Williams, could potentially take a remaining wild card place to compete alongside Venus.
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At 46 years old, Venus has been given direct entry into the main draw, which begins at the end of August. She is a seven-time Grand Slam and two-time US Open women’s singles champion, and large crowds of tennis fans will attend to watch her play.
Venus has followed a primarily plant-based diet for around 15 years. She told Business Insider has helped transform her athletic performance and health, even mitigating the symptoms of the autoimmune disease Sjogren’s Syndrome.
“Plant-based definitely changed my life, it made my skin amazing,” she said. “Living with an autoimmune disease, things can get a little tricky and you can be on loads of medicine, and that’s not something that I want to do.
“So to be able to control as much as I can – what’s happening in my body, my inflammation levels – through what I eat is a godsend.”
The US Open qualifying events are scheduled for August 23 to 27, 2026. The first singles events begin on August 30.
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Venus’s comeback, and a 113mph serve
Venus also received a wild card last year and became the oldest entrant in singles since 1981. This prompted similar speculation on the Williams sisters’ attendance after Serena’s former coach, Rick Macci, predicted that they could both compete.
Also last year, Venus won a first-round match at the Washington Open, which was her first appearance in roughly 16 months. At the peak of her career, Venus’s serve averaged 113 miles per hour and could reach heights of 123 miles per hour.
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