NEW YORK – Venus Williams, who made a comeback last week after more than a year’s hiatus from competitive tennis, will compete alongside Reilly Opelka in mixed doubles at the US Open.

The American, a seven-time Grand Slam singles champion who turned 45 last month, and compatriot Opelka were among 14 teams named on Tuesday to the revamped Aug 19-20 event by the US Tennis Association.

Williams won her opening singles and doubles match at the DC Open last week in her first WTA tournament since last year’s Miami Open.

She is also set to play as a wild card in next month’s Cincinnati Open and could ask for a US Open singles wild card. Those are expected to be announced in about two weeks.

The US Open winning mixed doubles team will receive US$1 million.

Eight teams received direct entry into the field by combined singles rankings, including top-ranked Jannik Sinner of Italy – the reigning US Open, Wimbledon and Australian Open singles champion – with American Emma Navarro.

Other duos making the field on rankings included Britain’s fifth-ranked Jack Draper and Spain’s Paula Badosa, Germany’s third-ranked Alexander Zverev and Swiss Belinda Bencic, fourth-ranked American Taylor Fritz and Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan, Dane Holger Rune and American Amanda Anisimova, 2021 US Open winner Daniil Medvedev and fellow Russian Mirra Andreeva, Americans Jessica Pegula and Tommy Paul and Poland’s Iga Swiatek and Norway’s Casper Ruud.

Other wild card entry teams include five-time Grand Slam singles champion and world No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz of Spain with Britain’s Emma Raducanu, Americans Madison Keys and Frances Tiafoe, world women’s doubles No. 1 Taylor Townsend and fellow American Ben Shelton, Italians Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori and Serbians Olga Danilovic and Novak Djokovic – who has won a record 24 men’s Grand Slam singles titles.

Two other wild card teams will be announced later.

Meanwhile in tennis action, Japanese qualifier Aoi Ito stunned Italian seventh seed Jasmine Paolini 2-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7-5) on Tuesday to reach the third round of the WTA Canadian Open.

The 21-year-old beat American Katie Volynets in the first round for her first WTA 1000 level triumph then followed with her first victory over a top-10 opponent by rallying from a set and break down to advance after 2hr 27min.

Ito reached the semi-finals last October at Osaka in her WTA debut and claimed a 125-level title at Canberra in January, but until this week had not won a tour-level match.

In another match, world No. 2 Coco Gauff also battled into the third round by outlasting US compatriot Danielle Collins 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (7-2). AFP

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