New Delhi, Feb. 21 -- Venus Williams is getting a wild card into the singles and doubles draws for the BNP Paribas Open next month in the Southern California desert.

The 45-year-old will be making her first appearance in the tournament since 2024, when she lost in the first round as a wild card. She's a three-time semifinalist, most recently in 2018. She boycotted the event between 2002 and 2016 after a controversial incident in 2001.

"It's an honor to award the first wild card of this year's event to Venus Williams," tournament director Tommy Haas said Friday. "Venus is a legend of the game, and one of the most accomplished players our sport has ever seen."

It will be Williams' 10th career appearance in the tournament, which runs Marc...