Venus Williams returned to professional singles tennis at age 45, making a notable comeback at the Mubadala Citi DC Open in Washington, D.C. This decision stemmed from an unexpected surge of inspiration during a brief visit to Wimbledon earlier this summer, where the ambiance and memories reignited her love for the sport.
Reflecting on her visit, Williams said, “When I went to Wimbledon this year—I was there for a day—and it was so beautiful and exciting, and I remembered all the times that I had, and of course the adrenaline, all those things—just the pure fun of playing the game, the fun of the challenge. You overcome so many challenges [as a player]: your opponents, the conditions, a lot of times you have to overcome yourself.”
Her comeback was approached with both passion and caution. Despite the long hiatus, which included surgery for uterine fibroids, Williams trained intensively and acknowledged the mental hurdles she faced. “Each week that I was training, I was, like, ‘Oh, my God, I don’t know if I’m good enough yet.’” She emphasized the significance of passion in sport: “I think more than anything, it’s just about love, right? If you have enough love for it, then you’ll put in the effort, and then you’ll find that little extra little bit at the end because you love it so much.”
Williams launched her return by winning a doubles match and followed with a straight-sets victory over No. 35-ranked Peyton Stearns, becoming the oldest woman to win a WTA main tour match since Martina Navratilova in 2004. Stearns praised her performance, noting, “Her serves were just on fire.”
However, the physical demands proved challenging in her next match against No. 5 seed Magdalena Frech, where Williams lost 6-2, 6-2. Despite this, Tennis Channel analyst Mark Petchey commented, “The cameo is over. We’ll see her again in Cincinnati,” where Williams has accepted a wildcard entry.
Williams’ return in Washington, a tournament known for its strong African-American community support, holds symbolic significance. “Today we got to see three African-Americans on the court,” Williams remarked, highlighting the importance of representation and opportunity in tennis.
Throughout her career, Williams has been a formidable advocate, notably for equal prize money in women’s tennis, a battle she helped win at Wimbledon in 2007. Her current comeback challenges conventional expectations about age in professional tennis, earning admiration from peers like Naomi Osaka, who referred to her as “the queen” with a “royal air.”