By Richard Pagliaro | @TennisNow | Sunday, February 23, 2025
Photo credit: Matthew Calvis
The BNP Paribas Open awarding Venus Williams a wild card thrilled the tennis world and amused Venus herself.
That’s because the former world No. 1 says she’s not playing Indian Wells next month.
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The 44-year-old Venus, who has been in Europe recently for fashion events and promotional appearances, was asked today if she was playing Indian Wells.
Williams told a crowd in Denmark at “An Evening with Venus Williams” she has no plans to play Indian Wells.
The five-time Wimbledon winner said she will be overseas when the BNP Paribas Open, set for March 2-16 at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, is contested.
“No, I’m not playing,” Williams said. “Actually, I found the announcement super amusing because, I don’t know, people seem to be happy, so I was like, ‘Maybe I’ll just go with it, I don’t know.’ I’m actually not going.
“I’m going to be overseas. I’m not going to be [there] … I just had a player text me today too, like, ‘Can you play doubles?’ [But] I’m not playing. “I found out about the wild card when you guys did. Just saying.
“And I love Indian Wells, I would love to be there and if I could have accepted it, I would have been like, ‘Yes.’ But I already made commitments.”
The owner of 49 career titles, Venus Williams played the 2024 Indian Wells bowing to qualifier Nao Hibino 6-2, 3-6, 0-6. In her last Tour-level match, Williams lost to world No. 62 Diana Shnaider, 3-6, 3-6, at the Miami Open.
As of tonight, Sunday, February 23rd, the official BNP Paribas Open website still has Venus Williams listed as a wild card on its 2025 player entry list page.
