The celebrated Venus Williams is showing renewed vigor and continuing to achieve victories at the age of 45.
This week marked the return to competitive tennis for the seven-time Grand Slam victor, following a 16-month absence. She participated in both the women’s singles and doubles competitions at the Mubadala Citi DC Open, inaugurating each with a triumph.
In partnership with Hailey Baptiste, who, at 23, is considerably younger, Williams secured a 6-3, 6-1 victory against Canada’s Eugenie Bouchard and American teenager Clervie Ngounoue in their opening doubles match on Monday. Subsequently, on Tuesday, she achieved a surprising 6-3, 6-4 singles win over Peyton Stearns, a former NCAA champion ranked 35th globally.
Williams’ most recent singles victory in a WTA-sanctioned event occurred nearly two years prior, at the 2023 Cincinnati Open.
Another significant event:
This marked the first instance since Wimbledon in 2016, where she claimed the doubles title for her final Grand Slam win, that Williams secured victories in both women’s singles and doubles. She also attained the status of the oldest woman to win a tour-level match since 2004, with Martina Navratilova, aged 47, being the last woman to achieve this feat.
Previously, Williams’ career status was uncertain. Although she had not formally retired, unlike her younger sister Serena in 2022, the WTA listed her as inactive. She spent this period addressing certain health concerns and now reports feeling significantly improved, as per AFP:
“It’s just nice to be able to participate. My current situation this year differs greatly from last year. It’s a world of difference, being able to be present and prepare for the tournament as opposed to preparing for surgery a year ago.”
Williams is set to face more formidable opponents in her upcoming matches in Washington. In the singles round of 16, she will compete against No. 5 seed Magdalena Fręch, while in the doubles quarterfinals, she will face No. 2 seeds Taylor Townsend and Zhang Shuai.
Looking forward, Williams has registered for the mixed doubles competition at the US Open alongside Reilly Opelka.
