Venus Williams had not played a WTA match since 2023. But when she stepped back onto the court at the Mubadala Citi DC Open on Tuesday night, July 22, it was as if she had never left. She looked in peak form , dominating, composed, still the queen of tennis.
The former world No. 1 faced Peyton Stearns and defeated her 6-3, 6-4 in an hour and 37 minutes, delivering a performance full of energy and power.
With this victory over a much younger opponent, Stearns is only 23, more than two decades her junior – the seven-time Grand Slam champion became the oldest player to win a WTA match since Martina Navratilova beat Catalina Castaño at Wimbledon in 2004. Navratilova was 47 at the time.
Venus’ previous win before stepping away from the sport came against Veronika Kudermetova in Cincinnati in 2023, when Kudermetova was ranked No. 16. That means Venus’ last two victories – separated by two years – have both come against players ranked inside the world’s top 35.
One of the first to celebrate her triumph was her brother-in-law, Alexis Ohanian, who posted about the win on Instagram with the caption: “LFG @venuswilliams.”
A constant supporter
Ohanian has long been a steady presence in Venus’ corner, celebrating nearly every one of her milestones. He understands the importance of family support and has never hesitated to show it, embracing his role fully.
He did the same when Venus released her book, Strive: 8 Steps to Find Your Awesome, in 2024, writing:
A huge shoutout to my amazing sis Venus Williams. Her new book is out, I just got my copy, that’s right I bought my own. I will get it autographed by her though.
The Reddit co-founder married Serena Williams in 2017, and from that moment on, he’s been all-in as part of the Williams family – a role he continues to embrace at every opportunity.
Could Venus inspire Serena’s return?
Serena Williams last played at the 2022 US Open before dedicating herself to her daughters and husband. Recently, however, she has shared training clips on social media, showing she’s still hitting serves with trademark power – fueling speculation of a possible comeback.
A huge shoutout to my amazing sis Venus Williams. Her new book is out, I just got my copy, that’s right I bought my own. I will get it autographed by her though.
Venus said after her win at age 45. She added:
If she comes back, I’m sure she’ll let y’all know… She can take six months off and she clocks it clean. You can’t teach that kind of talent. She’s just so good.
For now, Venus will continue in Cincinnati, facing No. 5 seed Magdalena Frech, testing if she can sustain her level, strength and ability to keep winning.
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