Venus Williams Discusses Possibly Playing in 2026, Says You Should Never 'Rule Me Out'

Seven-time Grand Slam singles champion Venus Williams hasn't ruled out continuing her competitive career into her age-46 season in 2026.

"I'm very much in the moment," Williams told reporters when asked about her plans for next season during Wednesday's Cincinnati Open media availability, per ESPN's D'Arcy Maine.

Williams continued, "I don't think you should ever rule me out. That's all I can say."

Last month's Citi Open in Washington, D.C. marked Williams' first appearance in a competitive match since March 2024.

She celebrated her return by defeating Peyton Stearns, who went into the match ranked as the world's No. 35 player.

The win made Williams, 45, the oldest player to win a WTA Tour singles match since 47-year-old Martina Navratilova won in Wimbledon in 2004. It also helped Williams receive a wild card spot this week in Cincinnati.

When asked ahead of the Citi Open why she had taken up the opportunity to join the tournament as a wild card, Williams said, per the WTA transcript: "This time I had been hitting the ball. And of course I love the game and the hard courts, it's my favorite surface, what I feel comfortable on. So all those different factors.”

When asked if she had a plan as to how long she planned to continue playing, Williams said she did but wasn't interested in sharing it.

“I think I know what I want to do, but I don't always want to talk about it," Williams said in July. "I'm just here for now, and who knows? Maybe there's more. Like I said, I hold my cards close, but at the moment, I'm focused just on this.”

Williams turned professional at age 14 in 1994. She has since won 49 WTA singles titles as well as 22 doubles titles alongside her sister, Serena Williams, who announced her own retirement from playing in 2022.

Serena retired after the 2022 U.S. Open. Venus is set to compete in the 2025 edition of the event alongside American Reilly Opelka in the mixed doubles championship.

For now, Williams will focus on the Cincinnati Open. She is set to open the tournament against Spain's Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, ranked No. 51 by WTA, in a match scheduled to begin on Wednesday at 10 a.m. ET.