There seems to have been a serious miscommunication between the organisers of the Indian Wells tournament and tennis icon Venus Williams, who recently revealed that she only learned about her wildcard invitation for the event at the very last moment.
The WTA 1000 tournament made an announcement on Thursday, boasting that “Seven-time Grand Slam champion and former world No. 1 Venus Williams is set to make her 10th career appearance at Indian Wells,” alongside a mention of two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, who is making her comeback after the birth of her first child. The statement also highlighted Williams’ impressive history at the event, having reached three semi-finals.
However, just a few days later, it became clear that there wouldn’t be an 11th appearance for the 44-year-old in 2025, as tournament organisers had to backtrack following an “amusing” revelation by Williams herself over the weekend.
Williams, who only played two matches in 2024—both in March—has yet to decide when she’ll return to competitive tennis, but she’s made it clear that retirement is not on her radar just yet. During an event titled “An Evening with Venus Williams” in Denmark, she clarified her position: “No, I’m not playing [at Indian Wells].” She added with a laugh, “I actually 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.’”
She went on to explain, “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.” She further revealed, “I found out about the wildcard 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.”
In response to the confusion, Tommy Haas, the Tournament Director of Indian Wells, clarified the situation: “Our team has been informed that Venus is not accepting the wildcard this year. We wish Venus all the best and hope to see her back in Indian Wells in the future.”
It’s worth noting that the Williams sisters, Venus and Serena, had boycotted the event for 15 years after a controversial incident in 2001. During that year’s final, Serena was booed by fans after Venus withdrew from their semi-final match citing an injury, leading to speculation that the family had pre-arranged the final. The public backlash was significant enough to make both sisters steer clear of Indian Wells for over a decade.
While Venus’ absence will undoubtedly be felt, the tournament organisers can at least take comfort in the return of Petra Kvitova. The two-time Grand Slam champion has accepted her wildcard invitation and will make her return to action after the birth of her son, Petra, last July. It’s certainly a positive development for Indian Wells and adds an exciting twist to the tournament’s lineup.