Venus Williams will make her return to competition at the Guangzhou Open.
Williams last competed at the US Open, where she lost her 15th consecutive singles match after losing to Sofia Kenin in the first round.
Venus also lost her only doubles match at the US Open alongside her younger sister Serena, with many assuming that this would be the end of the season for the 46-year-old.
It then came as a surprise when it was announced that Venus Williams would be competing at the WTA 250 tournament in Guangzhou, where her singles draw has now been confirmed.
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Venus Williams will play Lilli Tagger in the first round of the Guangzhou Open
Williams has not won a singles match since July 2025, something she will be hoping to change at the Guangzhou Open.
The draw for the Guangzhou Open has now been made, with Williams drawn to play against 18-year-old Lilli Tagger. Tagger is seen as a future Grand Slam contender by some, having already shown her potential by winning the Roland Garros junior title and her first ever WTA Tour title in Prague earlier this year.
If Williams is able to showcase her experience against Tagger, then she could face Magda Linette in her second round match. Some of the other threats in Williams’ half of the draw include Daria Snigur and Katie Volynets.
Williams has not reached a WTA Tour final since the 2017 WTA Finals, but if she is able to in Guangzhou then she could face second seed Janice Tjen, who she is also playing doubles against.
How many Grand Slams had Venus Williams won when Lilli Tagger was born?
Williams will play Tagger in the first round of the Guangzhou Open, a player who was born over 13 years after she made her WTA Tour debut.
When Tagger was born in February 2008, Williams had already been world number one, won six of her seven Grand Slam titles, and two Olympic gold medals.
| Venus Williams’ career when Lilli Tagger was born (February 2008) | |
| Career-high ranking | No.1 |
| Titles Won | 36 |
| Grand Slam singles titles won | 6 |
| WTA 1000 titles won | 6 |
| Olympic medals won | 2 golds (1 singles, 1 doubles) |
| BJK Cup titles won | 1 |
Williams is still competing on the WTA Tour nearly 20 years later, as she looks to return to winning ways in singles.
The main draw of the Guangzhou Open will get underway on Monday, February 26, as Williams plays both singles and doubles alongside Tjen.
