Venus Williams has never played by the rules, and at 45, she’s proving that once again. The seven-time Grand Slam champion is back on the WTA Tour, challenging age, expectations, and the “inactive player” tag she was given. After being away for over a year following her 2024 Miami Open loss, Venus has returned to competition through a wildcard at the DC Open.
Teaming up with Washington native Hailey Baptiste, Venus looked sharp in her doubles comeback, defeating Eugenie Bouchard and Clervie Ngounoue 6-3, 6-1. It was her first doubles match since playing alongside Serena years ago. Even with a shaky start—a foot fault on her opening serve—her determination didn’t fade. More importantly, the victory gave her the space to reflect on what surgery had taught her about the sport.
At her post-match press conference, Venus was candid. She explained that when she went under the knife, tennis wasn’t her priority. “I just wanted to be healthy. You can play all the matches in the world, but when your health is gone, everything changes,” she said. “At that point, I wasn’t even thinking about tennis. I just wanted to survive the surgery. Tennis is a game, it’s our life, it’s our obsession… honestly, it’s like a cult.”
Her remarks, laced with humor, highlighted how illness and recovery reshaped her outlook. “At the end of the day, none of this matters if your health isn’t there,” she continued. “It made it easier for me to come back and play more freely.”
Earlier this summer, Venus also revealed the private struggle that had haunted her career—fibroids and adenomyosis, conditions she endured silently for nearly 30 years. In an NBC News interview, she described the relentless pain, vomiting, cramps, and bleeding she faced while competing at the highest level. After years of being dismissed, she finally found relief through a successful surgery in 2024, thanks to Dr. Taraneh Shirazian at NYU Langone’s Center for Fibroid Care.
Now, fully recovered, Venus is carving out her own comeback story. Her next challenge is against 23-year-old Peyton Stearns, a rising star who recently reached a career-high ranking of No. 28. It will be their first meeting—a clash of generations under the Washington sun.
Though Venus has only played once before at the Citi Open, Washington, D.C., is familiar territory. As a six-time marquee player for the Washington Kastles, she helped lead the team to five World TeamTennis titles. The city feels like home, and her hunger remains intact. “You gotta win to learn to win. You gotta win to win again,” she quipped after her doubles win, emphasizing that only in victory do athletes truly feel release.
