Venus Williams Extends Her Legacy, Set For 33rd Season Debut In Auckland

Tennis legend Venus Williams is set to commence her 33rd consecutive year on the WTA Tour, kicking off in Auckland this January. The ASB Classic organizers in New Zealand announced on Wednesday that the 45-year-old Williams will participate in their event scheduled for January 5-11. This indicates her readiness for the Australian Open later that month, a prestigious championship where she has twice finished as a runner-up. Williams made her professional debut in 1994 in Oakland, California, and has participated in at least two WTA competitions each season since then, according to the tour's records. Her most recent singles match occurred at the U.S. Open in August, where she faced a narrow defeat against 11th-seeded Karolina Muchova in the first round, falling in three sets. Currently ranked No. 570, Williams is notably five years senior to the next oldest competitors, Naoko Eto and Bethanie Mattek-Sands.

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