Toronto, Canada - A week after Serena Williams announced she'll be taking part in the National Bank Open, her sister, Venus Williams, also booked her participation, which will mark her return after almost a year away from singles competition.

Former World No.1 and seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams will play her first singles match in nearly 12 months at the National Bank Open in Toronto next month after being awarded a wild card into the main draw.

Though she played alongside Britain's Jamie Murray in mixed-doubles at Wimbledon this year, her most recent singles outing was at the Chicago Women's Open last August.

There, Williams lost in the first round to Hsieh Su-Wei. Her last win came against Mihaela Buzarnescu in the first round of Wimbledon in 2021.

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The National Bank Open holds a special place in Williams' career. In 1995, aged 15, she made her Tier I debut – the equivalent of today's WTA 1000 category – at the event after receiving a wild card.

Despite this rich history, it hasn't been her happiest hunting ground, with an underwhelming 2-7 leaving plenty of room to improve.

As the oldest active tennis player on tour, the 42-year-old will return to action hoping to turn that around late in the game.

Venus will join her sister Serena, who entered the Open using her protected ranking in the field, along with 2019 champion Bianca Andreescu, and a full Top 10 slate led by world number one, Iga Swiatek.