Following a poor start to the 2025 season, due to an abdominal injury, Naomi Osaka is set to step back on the court. The Japanese star has had a month of recovery break after her withdrawal from the third round of the Australian Open and she is now ready to embark on her quest to find the winning momentum. Osaka’s motivation to keep playing the racket sport, despite the adversities, comes from another legendary player who has also spent a long time away from the court due to a knee injury. Any guesses who we are talking about? Well, it’s none other than the 7-time Major champion, Venus Williams.

Venus last appeared in the Miami Open 2024 and after a long hiatus, good news surfaced last week, regarding the 44-year-old veteran. Rumors of Venus’ comeback started floating after she shared a cryptic post. On Instagram, she dropped a picture of her working out on the court, captioning it, “Lavender afternoons 💜.” Hours later, the organizers of the BNP Paribas Open announced her official participation. Apparently, they awarded her a wildcard entry!

While Osaka is preparing for her own comeback, she is overjoyed to learn about Venus’ appearance in Indian Wells. In an interaction with CNN, dated February 22, she expressed her excitement to watch the elder Williams sister in action. “It makes me really excited to go to the tournament and see her, and I feel like she probably doesn’t know how many people she’s inspired because even she inspired me – and through me, there’s probably other kids that are inspired. So it keeps the legacy going.” The Japanese said. She further went on to add, “She’s (Venus) probably the reason why I started playing.”

But it appears that Osaka’s wish to watch her idol in Indian Wells won’t come true. Why so? Just days after the Japanese star shared her thoughts on Williams’ return, the tournament organizers shared a shocking update. Is the American playing next month?

Venus Williams denies wildcard entry at the 2025 BNP Paris Open

Venus Williams sustained a serious knee injury during her first-round clash against Elina Svitolina at the 2023 Wimbledon Championships. The injury eventually forced her to stay away from tennis for a long time. Last season, she was able to compete in just two WTA events. At the Indian Wells, she was ousted in the first round itself, losing to Japan’s Nao Hibino with a score line of 2-6, 6-3, 6-0. Later she was also ousted from the Miami Open after Diana Schneider beat her 6-3, 6-3.

Last week, when her wildcard entry was confirmed, fans assumed Venus would step on the court. Unfortunately, though, it’s not going to happen. Turns out, Williams didn’t accept the wildcard offer. On X, BNP Paribas Open’s official account revealed, “Our team has been informed that Venus is not accepting the wild card this year”. This message was from the tournament director Tommy Haas who also added, “We wish Venus all the best and hope to see her back in Indian Wells in the future.”

Had she accepted the entry, it would have been Venus’s 10th overall Indian Wells appearance. She boycotted the event for 15 years because of the treatment her younger sister received in one of the matches in the 2001 edition. But that’s history now. Speaking of her track record at Indian Wells, Venus has been the semifinalist there on three occasions (1998, 2001, and 2018). But avid fans will have to wait to see her swinging the racket there once again. What are your thoughts on Williams not accepting the wildcard for Indian Wells?