Venus Williams is still a regular presence on the tennis circuit, and fans usually look forward to seeing her name in the draw.
However, she’s currently on a ten-match losing streak, with all those defeats coming in tournaments where she entered via wildcards.
With results not going her way and frequent wildcard entries continuing, more and more people are starting to question whether she still has a place at the top level of the sport.
There was already some frustration before her latest comments about what she hopes to achieve in the near future.
After her exit in Madrid, Venus spoke about her plans and mentioned that she’s hoping for a wildcard into the French Open.
She also ruled out an appearance at the Italian Open, explaining: “My husband is Italian, I would love to play Rome as well but that won’t be possible.”
Reaction to her comments was mixed. One user posted: “She’ll get a WC to Roland Garros, will lose in R1, and the charade will go on.”
Another suggested a different approach: “I would much rather see Venus Williams playing doubles with Leylah Fernandez than struggling to win a game in every singles match. Women’s doubles matches benefit from her presence, women’s singles do not.”
However, not everyone agreed with the criticism. Rennae Stubbs has backed Venus’ right to receive wildcards.
Even with some fans frustrated over her repeated wildcards, there’s little mystery as to why tournament organisers keep bringing Venus Williams back.
In the United States, she was drawing big crowds even for doubles matches that would normally play to half-empty stands.
And that pull isn’t limited to the US. Across Europe, fans still come out in numbers, hoping to see a legend of the game who might be making one of her final appearances at any given event.
If a few wildcards along the way are how the sport recognises what she’s contributed, it’s hard to argue against her receiving them.
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