"Tournaments choose those who sell tickets and draw audiences," Rick Macci responds to criticism over Venus Williams' wildcard
It was news that surprised many. At 45 years old and after over a year away from the game, legend Venus Williams received a wildcard to compete in the Washington tournament, where she will face Stearns in the first round.
This unprecedented wildcard sparked intense debate among tennis observers and fans, as reflected in this post on X by former Williams sisters coach Rick Macci:
"There are people criticizing Venus for not deserving a wildcard in this tournament. Tournaments decide to choose those who sell tickets and draw audiences. No one inherently deserves a wildcard. There’s no formula to determine who gets an invitation, but Venus will play her heart out and leave it all on the court."
Meanwhile, the seven-time Grand Slam champion started with a doubles victory alongside her compatriot Hailey Baptiste against the pair Bouchard-Ngounoue (6-3, 6-1).
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