Venus Williams, 46, has received 12 wildcards this season, including entry to the US Open where she faces Sofia Kenin. Despite a world ranking of 611 and 14 consecutive singles losses, tournament directors continue offering wildcards citing her commercial value and legacy. Karl Hale, director of the Toronto WTA 1000 event, said Williams' presence drives media interest and ticket sales, noting she "kicked off our tournament" on opening day.

The USTA, Tennis Australia, and French Tennis Federation also have reciprocal wildcard agreements. Eight of 128 Grand Slam spots are wildcard entries. Williams has not qualified by ranking since Wimbledon 2021, her last major singles win.

She pushed Karolina Muchova to three sets at the 2024 US Open and lost narrowly to Olga Danilovic at the Australian Open. Her only recent win came against Peyton Stearns in Washington last July. Critics argue the allocations are excessive without wins, but no limit exists for Grand Slam champions.

Golf's Open Championship now restricts past champions to age 55, while tennis has no such limit — Martina Navratilova received wildcards at 47.