Venus Williams Returns to U.S. Open Mixed Doubles with Reilly Opelka

Venus Williams, 45, is set to make her return to the U.S. Open next month, entering the newly revamped mixed doubles tournament alongside Reilly Opelka through a wild-card entry. Williams, who resumed competitive play last week after a 16-month hiatus due to surgery for uterine fibroids, will participate in the mixed doubles event scheduled for August 19–20. The U.S. Tennis Association (USTA) has announced a 16-team field, including eight top-ranked pairings and six wild-card duos, with two additional wild-card teams yet to be revealed. The tournament format has been revised to attract high-profile participants, featuring first-to-four-game sets with no-ad scoring and a $1 million top prize. Notable wild-card duos include Emma Raducanu with Carlos Alcaraz, and Taylor Townsend with Ben Shelton. Williams, a seven-time singles Grand Slam winner, may also request a singles wild card, which is expected to be announced in August. (apnews.com)