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Venus Williams out of Australian Open with undisclosed injury

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(Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images)

Venus Williams will not play in this year’s Australian Open after withdrawing for an undisclosed injury.

Williams suffered the injury while playing in a tournament in Auckland, New Zealand earlier this week.

The seven-time Grand Slam singles champion had received a wild-card entry into the year’s first major. It would have been her 22nd Grand Slam at Melbourne Park. She has not played at the Australian Open since 2021.

“I’ve been competing in the country for over 20 years now and the Australian community has always supported me wholeheartedly,” she said when granted her wild-card entry.

Williams has struggled with injuries in recent years, but had begun 2023 positively with a win in an Auckland tournament – her first tour-level singles match in a year and a half.

Australian Kim Birrell has been granted a wild-card in place of Williams.