Venus Williams was just announced to be on the list to attend Indian Wells a few days ago. She was given a special ticket to participate in this tournament.
The owner of seven Grand Slams has not played for nearly a year, after losing in the first round of the Miami Open in March 2024.
However, the 44-year-old told Tennis Weekly Podcast that she had not received any offers. Williams added that she is practicing with the intention of returning in the near future, the news of attending Indian Wells is not true.
Williams played at Indian Wells last year, losing to Nao Hibino in the opening round. She had previously boycotted the tournament for 15 years after her younger sister Serena was booed by fans in the victory over Kim Clijsters in 2001.
In addition to Williams, Petra Kvitova is one of the other players given a special chance at this year's event. The two-time Wimbledon champion announced that she would return to tennis after giving birth to her first child in July.
In the men's event, Joao Fonseca was given a place in the official round after winning his first ATP title at the Argentina Open this weekend. The young Brazilian tennis player also attracted a lot of attention with his impressive achievement in the second round of the 2025 Australian Open.
Vietnamese-born tennis player Learner Tien, who reached the fourth round of the 2025 Australian Open with impressive victories over Daniil Medvedev and Corentin Moutet, will also be present at Indian Wells after being given special offers.
