Venus Williams targeting March return in 2024

It looks like tennis fans will have to wait until well into the new year to see Venus Williams on court again.

The 43-year-old former world No. 1 said this week that the fall she suffered on Centre Court in her first-round loss to Elina Svitolina at Wimbledon in July not only disrupted her plans for the fourth quarter of 2023, but also the start of 2024.

Williams hasn't played since a 6-1, 6-1 loss to Belgian Greet Minnen in the first round of the US Open, the most lopsided loss of her career at the tournament. She'll miss the next Grand Slam, January's Australian Open, and she says she's now targeting a return next spring.

"I tried my best to recover for the US Open. I did not reach my form so now I am just resting until I get back," Williams said. "I am targeting March, that's when the tournaments go back to the States, so my goal is to be up and running when tournaments come back to the U.S.”

Williams played three events after that fateful slip at Wimbledon, which came in the third game of an eventual 6-4, 6-3 loss to Svitolina on July 3. She also lost in the first round in Montreal, and beat Veronika Kudermetova in the opening round in Cincinnati for her first Top 20 win in four years before losing to Zheng Qinwen.

But consistent time on court continues to be a concern for the 43-year-old, who also missed nearly six months of action this year as a result of an injury she suffered at the ASB Classic in New Zealand in the season's opening week.

Williams played seven events as a wildcard in 2023, going 3-7 in main-draw matches. She's currently ranked No. 408.