Geoff Burke/IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Tennis icon Venus Williams is heading back to Roland Garros to reclaim a spot at a tournament she once dominated alongside her younger sister Serena.
The 45-year-old announced she will return to the French Open for the first time in five years when the clay-court Grand Slam kicks off May 24 in Paris. Williams is set to compete in doubles alongside fellow American Hailey Baptiste, 24, after the pair secured direct entry based on their combined rankings.
The last time Venus Williams played the French Open was alongside Coco Gauff in 2021.
Susan Mullane/USA TODAY Sports
While Williams will not compete in singles, the seven-time Grand Slam singles champion is looking to add yet another trophy to a résumé that already includes 14 Grand Slam doubles titles.
Williams previously reached the French Open singles final in 2002 before losing to Serena Williams, 44, and the sisters later captured doubles titles together at Roland Garros in 1999 and 2010
And Williams won’t just be working on the court.
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Venus Williams of the United States in action against Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic in the first round of the women’s singles at the U.S. Open on August 25, 2025.
Mike Frey/IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The tennis icon is also pulling double duty in Paris after signing on as a contributor for TNT Sports’ coverage of the tournament. Williams previously contributed pre-taped segments during TNT’s inaugural French Open coverage in 2025, but this year her role has expanded, with the former world No. 1 expected to appear live from Paris during the quarterfinals, semifinals, and women’s final.
Venus Williams secured her second French Open doubles win alongside her younger sister Serena Williams in 2010.
Paul Childs/Action Images
Williams’s return comes after a string of breaks away from consistent competition. Earlier this year, she became the oldest woman to compete in an Australian Open singles main draw after entering the tournament as a wildcard. She ultimately lost in three sets to Serbia’s Olga Danilović in the opening round, but remained upbeat afterward.
“It was such a great game, such a great moment,” Williams said after the loss. “The energy from the crowd was amazing.”
The comeback has hardly been seamless. Williams admitted last summer that returning to competitive tennis after time away came with growing pains.
“There is no doubt I can play tennis,” she told The Wall Street Journal in July. “But obviously, coming back to play matches, it takes time to get in the swing of things. I definitely feel I’ll play well. I’m still the same player.”
Williams last appeared at the Madrid Open in April, where she returned to clay competition for the first time in five years. The tennis legend lost in the opening round to 20-year-old Kaitlin Quevedo.
Despite the defeat, Williams sounded optimistic afterward and hinted that her clay-court comeback was far from over—teasing her 2026 return to the French Open.
Venus Williams has kept busy off the court, serving as the 2026 Met Gala co-chair.
Williams heads into Roland-Garros looking to shake off a rough 2026 season. The tennis icon currently sits outside the top 450 in the WTA rankings and has yet to notch a singles victory this season, going 0-7 after receiving wildcard entries into each of her tournaments. Her doubles results have been slightly stronger, including a Madrid Open win alongside 29-year-old Katie Boulter.
Off the court, Williams has been just as busy.
This month already included a turn as co-chair of the Met Gala alongside some of the biggest names in entertainment and fashion, including Anna Wintour, Nicole Kidman, Beyoncé, and her own sister.
Venus Williams attends the 2026 Met Gala celebrating “Costume Art” at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2026, in New York City.
Kevin Mazur/MG26/Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The
She also married Italian actor and producer Andrea Preti during a lavish five-day celebration in Palm Beach, Florida, in December.
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