Venus Williams to return to Australian Open

Five years after her last appearance at the Australian Open, Venus Williams is returning to the competition.

Aged 45, Williams is to become the oldest woman to compete in an Australian Open main draw. The record had been held by Japan’s Kimiko Date, who was 44 when she lost in the first round at Melbourne Park more than a decade ago.

Back in November, Williams announced she would play in Auckland New Zealand, where she was given a wild card days ahead of the Australian Open.

Her return to the tournament comes 28 years after her first appearance in the competition in 1998. That year, she beat her younger sister Serena in the second round, before losing in the quarter finals to fellow American Lindsay Davenport.

This year's Australian Open will get underway on January 18th in Melbourne.