Australian Open 2023: Full list of men’s and women’s singles wildcards ft. Venus Williams and Dominic Thiem
It's only a matter of weeks before the 2023 Australian Open kicks off in Melbourne. The best players in the world will gather to compete in the first Grand Slam of the new year.
The 2022 Australian Open produced some stellar matches, including a sensational men's singles final where Rafael Nadal came back from two sets down to defeat Daniil Medvedev 2-6, 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-4, 7-5. The women's singles final delivered the perfect ending to Ashleigh Barty's short yet illustrious career as she beat Danielle Collins 6-3, 7-6(2).
This year's tournament promises to be another exciting one, with all the top players competing at the "Happy Slam."
A total of 16 wildcards have been awarded for both the men's and women's singles events at the Asia-Pacific Major, with Venus Williams being the most notable recipient. The 42-year-old will compete in the tournament just months after her sister Serena Williams retired at the US Open.
Taylor Townsend is the second American player to receive a wildcard for the women's singles event at the Australian Open. The 26-year-old returned to action last season after her maternity leave and reached the women's doubles final at the US Open.
2020 runner-up Dominic Thiem is the most notable wildcard entry in the men's singles tournament. The Austrian missed last year's tournament as he was recovering from a wrist injury and will look to impress in 2023.
These are the 16 men and women who have received a wildcard for the 2023 Australian Open:
Men's Singles
Dominic Thiem (AUT)
Christopher Eubanks (USA)
Rinky Hijikata (AUS)
Jason Kubler (AUS)
John Millman (AUS)
Alexei Popyrin (AUS)
Luca van Assche (FRA)
Wu Yibing (CHN)
Women's Singles
Venus Williams (USA)
Taylor Townsend (USA)
Jaimee Fourlis (AUS)
Olivia Gadecki (AUS)
Talia Gibson (AUS)
Storm Hunter (AUS)
Diane Parry (FRA)
Moyuka Uchijima (JPN)
Venus Williams will compete at the Australian Open for the 22nd time
Williams will make her 22nd appearance at the Australian Open this year. The American is yet to win the tournament with her best performances being reaching the finals in 2003 and 2017, losing to her sister Serena on both occasions.
Venus Williams' last appearance at the Asia-Pacific Major came in 2021 when she reached the second round before losing 6-1, 6-0 to Sara Errani.
The 42-year-old stated that she was very excited to return to Melbourne and was looking to make more memories in the tournament.
"I am very excited to be returning to Melbourne to compete at the Australian Open in January. I’ve been competing in the country for over 20 years now and the Australian community has always supported me wholeheartedly. It will be an honour to play for the fans again and I’m looking forward to making more memories at the tournament this year," Venus Williams said.