Venus Williams has claimed that she will not be playing at Indian Wells next month (Image: GETTY)
Venus Williams has shut down rumours of an imminent return to tennis despite being announced on the line-up for Indian Wells next month.
The seven-time Grand Slam winner has not played in nearly a year, having been away from the court since losing in the first round of the Miami Open last March.
It seemed she would be making a comeback when it was announced on Wednesday .
However, the 44-year-old claimed during an appearance on the that she had not accepted any offers, saying it was ‘not true’.
Williams has not played a competitive match since the Miami Open last March (Image: GETTY)
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Williams added that she was training with a view to returning in the near future, explaining that she was keeping in shape ahead of a potential comeback.
It remains to be seen whether she will appear at Indian Wells in spite of her denial, with the official website still claiming that she is lined up to take part.
Williams played at last year’s event, losing at the hands of Nao Hibino in the opening round. She previously boycotted the tournament for 15 years after her younger sister, Serena, was heckled by fans during her win over Kim Clijsters in 2001.
The jeers appeared to be in response to Venus withdrawing from the semi-final between the two siblings, citing a knee injury. Her father, Richard, later accused fans of racial abuse. Venus did not return to the tournament until 2015, a year after Serena.
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Petra Kvitova is among the other players to have been handed a wildcard for this year’s event. The two-time champion announced earlier this month that she would return to tennis following the birth of her first child in July.
On the men’s side, Joao Fonseca has been offered a place in the main draw after winning his maiden ATP title at the Argentina Open this weekend.
The young Brazilian was the breakout star of the , turning plenty of heads with his impressive run to the second round. He announced himself in style by defeating Andrey Rublev in straight sets before losing to Lorenzo Sonego.
Learner Tien, who reached the fourth round in Melbourne with impressive victories over and Corentin Moutet, will also be at Indian Wells after being handed a wildcard of his own.