Venus Williams given singles wild card to play Toronto

Seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams has been handed a wild card entry to the WTA 1000 tournament in Toronto in August, Tennis Canada said on Wednesday.

Williams will be playing in Toronto for the first time since 2019, and tackling WTA singles for the first time since August of 2021.

"I love the city, the tournament, and I look forward to being back in Toronto," Williams, owner of 41 WTA singles titles, said in a statement.

Venus Williams played her first event since Chicago in August 2021 when she played mixed doubles with Britain's Jamie Murray at Wimbledon.

They won their first round match but exited in the second.

She joins her sister Serena in the main draw at Toronto, where Serena Williams will be playing her first North American hardcourt tournament in two years.

In her most recent Toronto appearance in 2019, Serena williams retired with back spasms against Canadian Bianca Andreescu, who has also received a wild card into the tournament that runs 6-14 August.