American tennis superstar Venus Williams will play at the ASB Classic tournament in Auckland in January.
Williams, a winner of five Wimbledons and two US Opens, was announced as the tournament's major drawcard at a media conference on Thursday.
The American's world ranking has slipped to 104 but she is a former world number one and has won nearly $US39 million in her career.
She is the second household name in two years to play at the Auckland event following Maria Sharapova last year.
Williams usually warms up for the Australian Open at the Hong Kong Tennis Classic but the exhibition tournament won't be staged in 2012.
NZN