Overview
- Williams faces Serbia's Olga Danilovic, ranked No. 68, as the last match Sunday on John Cain Arena and could meet third seed Coco Gauff in round two if she advances.
- The seven-time major champion resumed her comeback last season after a roughly 16-month break and lost her Grand Slam return at the U.S. Open in August.
- She began 2026 with first-round defeats in Auckland to Magda Linette and in Hobart to Tatjana Maria, the latter producing the highest combined age for a WTA match.
- Wildcard allocations have drawn scrutiny this year, with Nick Kyrgios withdrawing and 40-year-old Stan Wawrinka receiving a men's singles wildcard, while Andy Roddick and Kim Clijsters voiced support for Williams.
- Williams reacted to the age milestone by saying, "Yay for me," and said she kept training through her December wedding to Italian Andrea Preti.