At the end of March, Venus Williams will lose her world ranking and her page on the WTA Tour website will turn from purple to grey.
The seven-time Grand Slam singles champion will be considered an inactive player, having gone a whole year without competing.
But that status may not last long. The feeling persists that the American icon is not yet ready for retirement.
A wildcard for Indian Wells was announced but then swiftly declined. A “miscommunication” was the reason given.
Sources say Williams was then offered a wildcard for the Miami Open, which began on Tuesday and was the venue of her last match.
The 44-year-old thought about it for a couple of days – although it was no great surprise when she turned it down.
However, the Florida resident did take to the practice court there on Wednesday for a session with Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur.
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Indian Wells and Miami were the only two tournaments Williams played last year.
Her last Grand Slam appearance was at the 2023 US Open and her last victory at any level came against Veronika Kudermetova in Cincinnati two weeks before that.
The last time Williams played a full schedule was 2019.
It was some achievement to do so in the year she turned 39, having been diagnosed with Sjogren’s syndrome, external – an autoimmune condition which can cause fatigue and joint pain – a few years earlier.
But turning 45 – which she will do just two weeks before Wimbledon on 17 June – is historically not a barrier to competing on tour. After all, Martina Navratilova won a singles match at the All England Club aged 47.
Should Williams request a wildcard for either Wimbledon, where she is a five-time singles champion, or for the US Open, where she won the singles title twice, it seems unlikely it would be rejected.
Fashion is a big part of Williams’ life and she was at Paris Fashion Week two weeks ago – one of the reasons she did not play in Indian Wells.
She owns the interior design company V Starr but, even though more than 30 years have passed since her professional debut, many feel she will attempt a final foray into professional tennis.
