Venus Williams, a celebrated figure in tennis with seven Grand Slam singles titles, might have to pay £195 to maintain her professional tennis career.
The American tennis star, despite her legendary status, has been playing sparingly recently.
This lack of recent competitive matches puts Williams at risk of being classified as inactive and losing her professional license.
Williams, aged 44, last competed at the Miami Open in March 2024 as a wildcard entrant.
Having reportedly declined wildcards for both the prestigious Indian Wells tournament, often called the `fifth Grand Slam`, and the Miami Open again, she is approaching a year without participating in any competitions.
It is understood that Williams is currently fit and has declined opportunities to play, including the Indian Wells wildcard due to prior commitments.
She is also heavily involved in her interior design company, V Starr, which occupies a significant portion of her time.
As a result, Williams is in danger of being deemed inactive by the WTA Tour by the end of March.
Currently ranked No. 1151 in the world, Williams does not meet the criteria to be a full or associate member of the WTA Tour due to insufficient match play.
To continue her professional career, Williams will need to complete an annual player form and pay an administration fee of £195 ($250).
Since June 2024, Williams is no longer obligated to provide daily whereabouts to anti-doping testers.
Turning professional in 1994, 31 years ago, Williams was diagnosed with Sjogren`s syndrome, an autoimmune condition, in 2011.
Despite not securing a match win since August 2023, Williams has shown no signs of retirement.
She might seek a wildcard entry for Wimbledon this summer, a tournament where she has previously won five singles titles.
Throughout her illustrious career, Venus has also achieved 14 Grand Slam doubles titles and three Olympic gold medals, all alongside her sister Serena Williams.
