Venus Williams made a statement Tuesday night—not just to the world, but to herself. After a long absence, battling surgeries and self-doubt, she returned to the tennis court with fire in her heart, proving that age is just a number and giving up is never an option.
But let’s be real—this wasn’t just a comeback for the sake of sentiment. Venus Williams wanted to WIN, and win she did.
The 45-year-old icon took down Peyton Stearns, who’s 22 years her junior, in straight sets 6-3, 6-4 at the DC Open, making her the second-oldest woman in tennis history to win a tour-level singles match. Only Martina Navratilova, who triumphed at age 47 in 2004, stands ahead of her.
Delivering her trademark powerful serves and groundstrokes, Venus showed she still has that spark, that competitive edge, and that champion’s fire.
“Each week I trained, I was like, ‘Am I even good enough?’ Then there were times I leapt forward, and other weeks I felt like it wasn’t happening,” Williams shared. “Even right before this match, I felt like I needed so much improvement. It’s all a head game.”
Her last singles win was back in August 2023 in Cincinnati, and she hadn’t played a singles match since March 2024 in Miami. A long layoff due to surgery to remove uterine fibroids had her listed as “inactive” by the WTA.
“I constantly pray for good health, because that gives me the chance to compete,” she said. “This whole journey is about coming back and playing healthy.”
On Tuesday, Venus was greeted by a roaring crowd in Washington D.C., and she gave them a show to remember. From her opening return winner, to chasing down drop shots and hammering 110+ mph aces, it was vintage Venus—pure energy, poise, and power.
In the second game, she broke Stearns with a series of well-placed shots, including a killer forehand winner after sprinting to the net. The applause swelled when she walked into the stadium, and exploded every time she unleashed those signature serves.
Let’s not forget: Venus won four Grand Slams before Stearns was even born.
“She played some serious tennis tonight,” said Stearns, who’s ranked 35th in the world. “She moved really well—way better than I expected. And her serves were just on fire.”
Not everything was flawless. In the opening game, Venus was broken at love, showing a bit of rust with wide forehands and long backhands. But champions shake it off—and that’s exactly what she did.
Closing the match took grit. She had five missed match points, but on the sixth, Venus fired a 112 mph serve that Stearns sent into the net. Game. Set. History. With a glowing smile, a fist pump, and her classic pirouette-and-wave, Venus soaked in the moment.
“It’s not easy. It won’t be easy. It’s not easy for anyone,” Venus said, looking ahead to her next challenge against No. 5 seed Magdalena Frech, age 27. “But I’m ready to fight for every single match.”
Venus Williams, 45 years young, isn’t just back—she’s blazing trails and serving up inspiration with every point.