Coco Gauff, the rising phenom of American tennis, has warmly welcomed Venus Williams back to the WTA Tour as the 45-year-old icon makes her return to competitive play at the DC Open in Washington, D.C.
Gauff, who ascended to World No. 2 following her 2025 French Open triumph, took to social media to praise Williams following her recent win at the DC Open, writing simply “Venus”, followed by a crown emoji on X.
Return to the court: Venus’s long-awaited comeback
Venus‘s decision to return after a 16-month break was both surprising and inspiring. She last played on the tour at the 2024 Miami Open before undergoing surgery for uterine fibroids in July 2024.
Listed as “inactive” by the WTA, Williams received a wildcard into the 2025 DC Open, her first tournament since the 2023 Miami event.
In her opening round on Tuesday, Williams faced fellow American Peyton Stearns, ranked No. 35 in the world.
Despite years away from competition, Williams seized the moment, securing a straightsets victory, 63, 64.
The match saw flashes of her trademark power: aces clocking over 110 mph, precise returns, and impressive court coverage.
She shared after the win how mentally testing the journey had been: “Each week that I was training, I was, like, ‘Oh, my God, I don’t know if I’m good enough yet.’ … It’s all a head game.”
By defeating Stearns, Venus became the second-oldest woman to win a WTA singles match, behind only Martina Navratilova, who won at 47 in 2004, underscoring her lasting class and determination.
A young Coco thanked Venus back in 2019
Venus‘s influence extended beyond mentoring; in 2019, a 15-year-old Gauff stunned the tennis world by defeating Venus 64, 64 at Wimbledon.
The young American sealed a straight sets victory and then shared a moment at the net that spoke volumes about respect, gratitude, and the passing of a torch.
Gauff, ranked 313th at the time, had just qualified for Wimbledon’s main draw, the youngest to do so in the open era, only to draw Venus in the first round.
At the net, she told her hero: “I was just telling her thank you for everything that she’s done for the sport and she’s been an inspiration.”
In May 2025, Williams took a moment at Roland Garros during a TNT broadcast to praise Gauff.
“She’s had a great year so far … you got the goods. You got the attitude. I mean, you want to win every point, maybe too much sometimes. So the passion is there.”
She continued, “More than anything, it’s entertaining. It’s entertainment.”
Gauff responded lovingly: “Aww, thank you!”
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