Venus Williams’ comeback Tour will continue in Spain after the American was handed another wildcard spot.
The American, who made her return to the WTA Tour last year at the Washington Open, has received a wildcard for the 2026 Madrid Open.
Williams, a five-time Wimbledon Ladies Singles champion, most recently competed in the Miami Open, where she lost in the first round of the singles and doubles events.
It’s the end of the 2026 season… How many matches has Venus Williams won this year? Where is she ranked? Let us know in the comments👇
In fact, Venus has not won a singles match since stunning Peyton Stearns at the 2025 Washington Open.
With that being said, should Williams continue to receive wildcards?
This may be Venus Williams’ last chance to prove that she deserves wildcards
There can be little doubt that Venus Williams is one of the most popular players in tennis history.
The seven-time major singles champion remains an iconic figure, one who will continue to attract tennis fans to WTA events.
However, after failing to win a singles match for eight months, one has to now question the validity of Venus’ wildcard opportunities.
Venus has lost eight consecutive singles matches since her heroics in Washington – a poor record by any metric.
The closest Venus has come to ending her losing streak was at the Australian Open, when she led Olga Danilovic 4-0 in the final set of her first-round match.
Venus was unable to hold on to her lead, and has since continued to struggle for results on the court.
When analysing this situation, one does not mean to disparage Venus’ legacy, but merely point out how valuable a wildcard spot can be for a young player.
| Tournament | Opponent | Score |
| 2025 Washington Open | Peyton Stearns | 6-3, 6-4 |
| Magdalena Frech | 2-6, 2-6 | |
| 2025 Cincinnati Open | Jessica Bouzas Maneiro | 4-6, 4-6 |
| 2025 US Open | Karolina Muchova | 3-6, 6-2, 1-6 |
| 2026 ASB Classic | Magda Linette | 4-6, 6-4, 2-6 |
| 2026 Hobart International | Tatjana Maria | 4-6, 3-6 |
| 2026 Australian Open | Olga Danilovic | 7-6, 3-6, 4-6 |
| 2026 ATX Open | Alja Tomljanovic | 4-6, 1-6 |
| 2026 Indian Wells | Diane Parry | 3-6, 7-6, 1-6 |
| 2026 Miami Open | Francesca Jones | 5-7, 5-7 |
Wildcards can serve as a springboard for young tennis players to launch their careers on the WTA Tour.
Perhaps it is time for these wildcards to be put to better use.
The alternative option
While Venus has struggled for results in singles events, she has been more successful in doubles.
Venus, paired with Leylah Fernandez, reached the 2025 US Open quarter-finals before losing to top seeds Taylor Townsend and Katerina Siniakova.
Since that event, Venus has lost five consecutive doubles matches.
However, Venus and Leylah Fernandez came incredibly close to victory in their recent Miami Open first-round match.
The pair led 9-4 in the final set tiebreak, before eventually losing the match 3-6, 6-3, 11-13.
Despite the result, Venus has more than proven that she can win doubles matches on the WTA Tour.
If tournament organisers wish to continue offering Venus wildcards, perhaps these should be for doubles events exclusively.
