AUCKLAND, New Zealand – Tennis superstar Venus Williams plans to compete on the WTA Tour for the 33rd consecutive season, starting in January in Auckland.
Organizers of the New Zealand ASB Classic said on Wednesday that Williams, 45, will compete in the event from January 5 to 11.
It shows the seven-time Grand Slam singles champion is preparing for the Australian Open later this month, where she has already lost two finals.
Williams competed in her first professional tournament in 1994 in Oakland, Calif., and has played in at least two WTA events each season since, the tour said.
She last competed in a singles match at the U.S. Open in August, losing to No. 11 seed Karolina Muchova in three sets in the first round.
Williams, ranked No. 570, is five years older than the next-ranked players, Naoko Eto and Bethanie Mattek-Sands.
