"Twenty-plus years into their careers and they still make the most noise, Williams Sisters is the WTA" - Tennis fans react as Venus Williams joins Toronto field for her first singles tournament of 2022

Venus Williams caused a big social media buzz on Wednesday after she was confirmed to make her singles tennis comeback at the upcoming National Bank Open in Toronto. The American legend is set to play her first singles tournament since August 2021 and joins her sister Serena Williams in a star-studded field.

The older of the Williams sisters has dropped outside the WTA rankings due to her long absence from the tour. She received a wild card to play in the WTA 1000 event in Toronto, a key tournament in the build-up to the US Open.

The 42-year-old is now expected to play her home Grand Slam tournament in New York City.

The National Bank Open will be the first tournament since Wimbledon 2021 to feature both Serena and Venus Williams in the singles draw. The prospect of watching the legendary duo, who hold a combined 30 Grand Slam singles titles between them, playing a tournament together has got the tennis world excited.

One fan expressed that the Williams sisters continue to be the biggest stars in women's tennis, more than two decades after they first made a breakthrough on the tour.

"20+ years into their careers and they still make the most noise. Williams Sisters is the WTA," said a post on Twitter.

Venus' last competitive singles match on tour was at the Chicago Women's Open in August 2021, where she lost in her first round to Hsieh Su-Wei. Her last victory on tour was against Mihaela Buzarnescu at the 2021 Wimbledon Championships. The seven-time Grand Slam singles champion played in the mixed doubles event at Wimbledon this year, partnering with Jamie Murray.

Serena played her first singles match since last year's Wimbledon in the 2022 edition of the Grand Slam tournament. She lost her opening-round match to Harmony Tan.

Upon hearing the news of the older Williams sister joining her sibling in Toronto, a fan expressed great admiration for the Williams sisters' passion for the sport.

"Wow! They impress me more & more! Even if they don’t win championships I admire the fire to compete and be out there! And we all know retirement is coming soon — will do so on their OWN terms," said the tweet.

Here are some more reactions to Venus Williams being announced as a wild card entry for Toronto:

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Mixed bag of memories from National Bank Open for Venus Williams

Rogers Cup Toronto - Day 4

While Venus Williams has some great memories from the National Bank Open, it also hasn't been among the most successful tournaments of her illustrious career. She made her WTA 1000 debut at the tournament as a 15-year-old, back in 1995. She made the finals of the tournament in the 2014 edition, which was played in Montreal.

In Toronto, however, Venus has won just two matches and lost seven. She will aim to considerably improve that record this season and get some match time under her belt with the possibility of competing at the US Open.

“I love the city, the tournament, and I look forward to being back in Toronto," Venus Williams said of her participation in the 2022 edition.

Venus and Serena Williams will both enter the event using a protected ranking. Meanwhile, the 2019 Toronto and US Open champion Bianca Andreescu also received a wild card. The WTA field is expected to include all of the Top-10 ranked players, led by World No. 1 Iga Swiatek.