Venus Williams is set to embark on her final tournament campaign of the 2026 WTA season in Hong Kong.
The American, aged 46, returned to action for the first time since the US Open last week, competing at the Guangzhou Open. While she suffered yet another first-round exit in singles, Williams reached the semifinals of the doubles event alongside Indonesian star Janice Tjen.
Williams’ run in Guangzhou with Tjen was her deepest of the season, and the two were one tiebreak away from reaching the final.
Venus Williams speaks ahead of the Hong Kong Open
Williams is now set to compete at the Hong Kong Open, where she is competing in both singles and doubles. “I’ve always loved playing here,” said the seven-time Grand Slam singles champion in her pre-tournament press conference. “The first time I was 18 years old, I think, and I remember being fascinated by the city.
“And that fascination has never ended. Now I’m here with my family, and I think they feel the same way, so it’s a good year. In terms of targets, I think most of all, just to enjoy myself on the court. I seem to get better with every match, so that’s great. I seem to get better with every match, so that’s great.
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Discussing her campaign in Guangzhou with Tjen, Williams said: “I hadn’t played in a couple of months. Coming back, you start quickly because everyone’s been playing every week by then, so it was great playing up there. I think it was definitely my best partnership of the year. My husband suggested that I play with her, so it was a great suggestion.”
Williams will play with Xu Yifan in Hong Kong. “I’ve played against her a lot of times,” Williams said of the Chinese player. “So it’s the first time playing together. She’s an unbelievable person, so I’m hoping I can just keep building on the momentum of last week.”
Asked how she stays motivated, Williams replied: “The same approach as always, and it’s been my training and discipline for each match. Of course, I’m extremely professional. I want to know that I can be prepared to give my best on the court, and the way to do that is to be completely prepared. All of the players are playing very well now, so I have to be ready for that.
“I think that there’s always something new to learn and ways to reinvent yourself, and I think that’s a lot of what I’m doing here is continuing to learn and to add things and change things. It’s not always easy, but I think it’s always the right thing to do, so it’s about just continuing to evolve as a person on and off the court.”
Williams will take on compatriot Mary Stoiana in her first-round singles match at the Hong Kong Open.
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