At 45, Venus Williams Scripts History with a Triumphant Comeback at Citi Open 2025 (WATCH)
Synopsis
At 45, Venus Williams clinched her first singles win in nearly two years at the Citi Open, defeating Peyton Stearns. Her historic triumph makes her the second-oldest woman to win a tour-level match, underlining her resilience and iconic comeback.
American tennis legend and seven-time Grand Slam singles champion Venus Williams marked her return to court with a win over fellow American Peyton Stearns in the first round of the women’s singles at Citi Open 2025 in Washington, DC, on Tuesday, July 23.
Venus Williams, sister of legendary tennis player Serena Williams, registered her first singles win in nearly two years. The last time Williams clinched a win was in the Cincinnati Masters in 2023, defeating Veronika Kudermetova of Russia in the round of 64. American tennis star has not played a singles match since March 2024, missing her time on the court while undergoing surgery to remove uterine fibroids
After a gap of over a year, Venus Williams, who was listed as ‘inactive player’ on WTA list until last week, made a comeback in style with a straight set win over Peyton Stearns - 6-3, 6-4, to mark her first victory on WTA tour since 2023.
Second oldest female player to win tour-level singles match
With a victory over Peyton Stearns, who is 22 years junior to her, Venus Williams became the second-oldest female player to clinch a win in a tour-level singles match. The oldest female tennis player to achieve this feat was legend Martina Navratilova, who won a tour-level singles match at the age of 47 in 2004, further highlighting the rarity and significance of Venus Williams’s achievement.
Despite returning to competitive tennis after nearly two years, Venus Williams showed no signs of rust and flaws in her game, as she displayed sharp movement, powerful groundstrokes, and composure under pressure, proving that age is just a number for iconic champion, who has clinched 23 Major titles, seven in singles, 14 in women’s doubles, and 2 mixed doubles.
Venus Williams’ comeback win at Citi Open was well-received by the crowd 7000-seat arena, with fans rising to their feet to applaud the tennis legend’s resilience and everlasting brilliance, creating a rousing atmosphere that echoed her legacy on one of the biggest stages of the sport.
Before marking a comeback win in singles, Williams clinched a doubles victory with compatriot Hailey Baptiste, defeating the American-Canadian pair of Clervie Ngounoue and Eugenie Bouchard in two straight sets.
Tennis fans in awe of Venus Williams’ Ageless Brilliance
As soon as Venus Williams clinched her first singles win in nearly two years at the age of 45, tennis fans could not resist themselves showering admiration and appreciation on social media, hailing her as a timeless icon and a beacon of determination who continues to inspire a generation of tennis players with her undying passion for sport.
There were rumours and speculations that Venus Williams silently retired from tennis, given the health issues and injury concerns. Due to absence from competitive tennis for over a year, Venus’s rankings significantly dropped, falling off the WTA chart entirely. However, with her first-round singles win at Citi Open might see her breaking into the top 700, jumping 9,356 places approximately.
Venus Williams will continue to quest for a comeback title win when she takes on Magdalena Frech of Poland in the round of 16 on Thursday, July 24.