Venus Williams must pay £193 to return to tennis

Venus Williams, a legendary American tennis player, may soon need to pay a fee to return to professional tennis. The seven-time Grand Slam champion has not played in nearly a year and is now ranked outside the top 1,100 players in the world. Williams recently declined a special invitation, known as a wildcard, to compete at the Indian Wells tournament. She said her business commitments with her interior design firm, V Starr, were the reason for her decision. She also turned down a chance to play in the ongoing Miami Open. If Williams does not compete in an event by the end of March, she risks being labeled inactive by the Women's Tennis Association. She has not played in a Grand Slam event since September 2023. Her last win was in August 2023 against Veronika Kudermetova. Should she return to the tour, Williams will need to fill out an annual player form and pay a fee of £193. This amount is not likely to be a concern for her, as she has earned over £30 million throughout her career. Williams, who went pro at the age of 14 in 1994, has had few appearances in tournaments since 2019. She was removed from the international testing pool in January 2024 and is no longer required to share her daily schedule. Despite her sporadic play, she remains a tennis legend with five Wimbledon titles, two US Open titles, and four Olympic gold medals to her name.