44-Year-Old Venus Williams Falls Out of Rankings for First Time Since 1995

Venus Williams officially dropped out of the WTA rankings a few days ago, but the 44-year-old is not taking that as a sign she should retire.

Over a year has passed since Venus' last professional appearance at the 2024 Miami Open. In the meantime, her activities have included releasing a wellness book that gives helpful advice on living a healthy life.

Although the seven-time Grand Slam singles champion's dedicated fans bought the book in significant numbers, her fanbase and the wider tennis community have wondered whether she will ever return to the WTA Tour.

Any player not being retired at 44 is unprecedented. After achieving so much, Venus has nothing left to prove and could have retired several years ago as one of the most iconic figures in tennis.

Many might have been pushed to quit after receiving news of no longer being ranked. That became official on Monday, March 31st, 2025, marking the first time since August 20th, 1995, that she did not hold a ranking.

While Williams no longer holding a ranking is somewhat startling, nearly 30 years passing since that last occurred is an incredible achievement and a testament to her dedication and passion for the sport.

It seems that passion remains since Venus does not have any immediate plans to retire. Returning at 44 or possibly even older (she turns 45 in June) would be very challenging, but she could still attempt it.

Venus recently spoke about retirement in a video she did while appearing as a non-playing guest at the 2025 Miami Open. The five-time Wimbledon champion does not have a confirmed return date.

However, Serena Williams' sister said she would play when she feels ready. The former WTA world No. 1 admitted to not being tennis fit at the moment after not competing at a tournament for over 12 months.

Venus would need to rely on wild cards to enter WTA events because of her ranking, but she does not need to worry about that. Tournaments worldwide know that giving a tennis icon like Williams a wild card if she wants it would increase ticket sales.

It is unclear whether Williams will be physically capable of competing if she returns. Stepping onto the court and being competitive, whether she wins or loses, would already be defying the odds at 44.

Venus has spoken in the past about being a big fan of Coco Gauff and rooting for her in every match. Those words undoubtedly mean a lot to the 2023 US Open champion since Venus and Serena inspired her as a child.

Although Gauff has a long road ahead to match the achievements of Venus or the even more successful Serena, she is already inspiring fans worldwide and brings a unique charisma off the court that attracts more fans to tennis.

Gauff has endured a challenging run of results since losing to Paula Badosa in the 2025 Australian Open quarterfinal. She will have a chance to bounce back and regain momentum on clay at the 2025 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, starting April 14th.