AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 17, 2026

Venus Williams

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Venus, welcome back to Melbourne Park. Tell us about your preparation and how you're head into the Open.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Hey, everyone. How are you? It's been five years since I have been here. They flew by, and I'm super, super grateful for the opportunity from Tennis Australia. Grateful for the opportunity to play in front of the fans. I have just received so much support in the tournaments leading up, walking around the city and everything.

My hope is to play my best.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Back in New York, you were asked about Australia, and you said it was too far to come here. I wonder if you were keeping your cards close to your chest, or were you enjoying yourself so much and the competition that it was hard to pass this opportunity?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, you've got throw some red herrings, right? Also, I was getting married. I had two weddings coming up. It was a busy time for me, so I was focused on that.

Q. Do you know something about Olga Danilovic, your first opponent here? Have you watched her play? Do you know her personally maybe?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Super talented. Love seeing young women do positive things. I'm sure we'll have a great match (smiling).

Q. As you said, it's been a while since you came here. I wonder what feels different, what feels the same?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, the site, I don't know my way around (smiling). I can hear the ghosts of the old footprint, but I'm lost.

Definitely took a lot of wrong turns, but it's great to see the expansion and the investment in tennis.

Q. Can you take us to the moment where you did learn about hearing of the wildcard? Set the scene. Where were you, and your initial reaction to hearing you were going to be coming back?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Honestly, I don't recall. Sorry.

Q. After everything you have experienced in this sport, what does it mean to you to keep competing at these biggest tournaments in the world?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Oh, this is the greatest place on earth to play. I have had amazing memories here. I love challenges, so I'm up for the challenge.

Q. When you're playing a sort of limited schedule like you are, what is the routine in terms of keeping yourself sharp, keeping yourself fit, staying sort of into the rhythm of tennis? Are you hitting for an hour or two every day? How does it work into your life in between, I guess when we last saw you was early September, and whenever you started, like, really getting dialed in on the Australian Open?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, I was training nonstop those three months. There were periods where I was super busy so I'd have to take a week off here or three days off there, but for the most part I was training and trying to get myself back in the groove.

At this point, I need to be kind to myself, because I'm getting so many things right, but, you know, there had been a lack of playing matches. So, you know, I'm playing well. I'm setting myself up each point to win points and controlling the points.

That's exactly how I'd want to play, and I'm playing the tennis I need to play.

Q. Congratulations on getting married. I was wondering if you were interested in talking about the ceremony and how it all came together, the planning, and just what the day meant to you?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, the day is a celebration. The commitment comes long before. It's kind of like getting here. It's the celebration of arriving and getting to actually play. The training happens long before.

It's just our opportunity to celebrate with family and friends and to create lasting memories.

Q. Casting your mind back quite a way to 1998, your debut here, 17-year-old Venus compared to now a 45-year-old Venus, what would you say has been a significant shift in your perspective in life between those times?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I'm definitely the same person. I definitely, like, I had my head on straight. It's still on pretty straight.

It was a beautiful time, because there's so much I didn't know but there's a great thing of not knowing because it lets you have a clean slate. There was so much I needed to learn, and then I learned it.

That's the thing about sport is you keep stepping up to the line, and while there is nothing to prove, it's all about the attitude and the effort. No one can control that. Controlling that part is really the win.

Q. What do you think about becoming the oldest female player here at the AO? Does it mean anything to you?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I hadn't thought about it till it came out in the press, so yay, yay for me (smiling). Let's do this.