Venus Williams, the seven-time Grand Slam singles champion, made an incredible comeback after a 16-month break from tennis. The 45-year-old legend, who has not competed since the Miami Open in March 2024, returned to action with a doubles victory at the Washington Open.
Williams, alongside American partner Hailey Baptiste, crushed Eugenie Bouchard and Clervie Ngounoue 6-3, 6-1 in the first round. The victory was even more remarkable considering Venus’s lengthy lay-off due to surgery for fibroids and post-operative complications.
“It is great to be back on court,” Venus shared. “I am happy to play again, and having Hailey hold the team up really helped me,” she added. Playing doubles for the first time in three years, Venus was thrilled to be back, saying, “It is inspiring to be out here. I love this game.”
Venus will face Peyton Stearns, another American, in her singles opener on Tuesday. She joked about wishing she could’ve teamed up with Baptiste instead of her sister Serena Williams in doubles. “I think we would have been a good team,” Venus said, laughing.
Despite not holding a current ranking, Venus’s passion for the game is evident. Her historic run with Serena in women’s doubles14 major titles has made them a legendary duo.
Meanwhile, Emma Raducanu and Elena Rybakina pulled off a thrilling victory, beating Tereza Mihalikova and Olivia Nicholls 2-6, 7-6 (7-4), 11-9. After a shaky start, they bounced back in the second set and sealed the win in a nail-biting tie-break.
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With her triumphant return to the doubles court, Venus Williams proves that age is just a number. At 45, she is still a force to be reckoned with, ready to take on more challenges in her tennis comeback.
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