The BNP Paribas Open announced last Wednesday that Venus Williams received an invitation to compete in the tournament, which would be her first competition in nearly a year. However, the seven-time major champion has declined the invitation.

Venus Williams has rejected the chance to play at Indian Wells The development comes after it was announced she had received a wildcard to compete in the tournament – aged 44. Last week, the

It turns out 44-year-old Venus Williams will not be playing at the BNP Paribas Open, the tournament revealed on Sunday — days after it announced she would be competing there with a wild-card entry. “Our team has been informed that Venus is not accepting the wild card this year,