Venus Williams Awarded Western & Southern Open Wild Card

Western & Southern Open fans will get another chance to see seven-time Grand Slam tournament champion Venus Williams as she has been awarded a wild card for the Aug. 12-20 event. She joins a star-studded lineup featuring the world’s top 39 WTA players and four other wild cards. With the addition of Williams, the women’s field features 12 Grand Slam major winners and five current or former world WTA No. 1s.

Williams owns 49 career singles titles, four Olympic gold medals and is a former world No. 1. The 43-year-old played three grass court events this summer, scoring a thrilling three-set win over Top 50 player Camila Giorgi, pushing No. 17 Jelena Ostapenko to a deciding set and competing in her 24th Wimbledon.

A Western & Southern Open semifinalist in 2012 and quarterfinalist in 2019, this will be Williams’ 10th singles appearance at the tournament, tying her for second most appearances in Cincinnati among active players.

Eight additional players will join the women’s field following a two-round qualifying tournament on opening weekend, Aug. 12-13. Adding the men’s entries to the women’s, the tournament will feature a total of 18 Grand Slam champions who have won a collective 56 Grand Slam titles, nine current or former world No. 1s, and 11 past Western & Southern Open winners.