Venus Williams Heads To Silicon Valley Classic At San Jose State

SAN JOSE, CA — Going into what she hopes will be a better outcome than Wimbledon's first-round loss at the hands of 15-year-old American sensation 'Coco' Gauff, seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams has joined the player field for her 15th appearance at the Silicon Valley Classic.

The Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic is slated for July 29 to Aug. 4 at San Jose State University, with Williams making her second consecutive showing at this year's popular tournament in San Jose. It used to be played at Stanford University.

One half of a tennis family dynasty she shares with her sister Serena, Williams seems to love playing in the South Bay, having advanced to the quarterfinals last year and winning two singles championships.

Nearing 40 years old, Williams has not only captured championship wins at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, she's served as a finalist in the other two Grand Slam events — the Australian and French opens in this century.

With a tough lineup expected, Williams is sure to tap into her grace-under-pressure experience in how to overcome adversity, giving spectators quite a show as she tries to outlast most competitors in tenure, experience and stature.

The showing of this Palm Beach tennis great, who's considered a gentle giant and class act, will play in the featured evening match on Tuesday at 7 p.m.

"We are very excited to have Venus join our player field," said Tournament Director Vickie Gunnasson. "She is a tennis icon and tremendous ambassador for the sport. Having her competing at the Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic is truly special and boosts our already great player field."

A winner of 49 career Women's Tennis Association singles titles, Williams enhances an already star-studded line-up including fellow Grand Slam winners Garbiñe Muguruza, Victoria Azarenka and Jelena Ostapenko. Six of the women in this year's player field have already won singles titles in 2019. Overall, the list of players have combined wins of 115 career WTA singles titles.

Other featured players coming to San Jose include defending champion Mihaela Buzarnescu, 2018 finalist Maria Sakkari, 17-year-old French Open semifinalist Amanda Anisimova, world No. 7 and Wimbledon semifinalist Elina Svitolina, world No. 10 Aryna Sabalenka, Chinese No. 1 Qiang Wang, Belgian star Elise Mertens and Australian Open semifinalist Danielle Collins.

In addition to the impressive list of WTA players set to compete in San Jose, the Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic will be hosting four former Association of Tennis Professionals stars as part of the Invesco Series on Aug. 3 following the women's semifinal evening match. The Invesco Series is a legends tour event that features three one-set matches consisting of two semifinals and one final.

The line-up for the San Jose event is one of the best of the legends season and includes 2003 U.S. Open champion Andy Roddick, 1989 French Open champion Michael Chang, 10-time ATP tour winner James Blake and 11-time tour singles champion Mark Philippoussis.

Now entering its 49th year, the Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic is a weeklong WTA premier event, bringing the worlds of tennis and technology together in a festival of sports and entertainment. Highlighting the best the region has to offer, the tournament showcases locally-sourced cuisine, fine wine and cheese selections as well as interactive fan exhibitions.

San Jose State erects a portable tennis village of sorts over a three-week period, which is expected to accommodate at least 10 percent more people than the 25,000 in attendance last year.

"This attracts a whole new audience for us," SJSU Deputy Director of Athletics Steve O'Brien told Patch. "We're tapping into an area population that has an interest in world-class tennis right in their own back yard."

Featuring 28-player singles and 16-team doubles draws, the tournament boasts $876,183 in prize money and serves as the opening women's event of the U.S. Open Series. Tickets that start at $36 are on sale and may be obtained by visiting www.MubadalaSVC.com or by calling 866-982-8497.

Now provided by the title sponsor — global investment firm Mubadala, the Silicon Valley Classic is the longest-running, women-only professional tennis tournament in the world and is the first women's stop of the U.S. Open Series.