Nationwide — Venus Williams made history at 45 years old by winning a singles match at the DC Open, becoming the oldest woman since Martina Navratilova to do so. She beat Peyton Stearns in straight sets, marking her first singles win in nearly two years.
Williams, once the world No. 1, returned to singles competition after surgery earlier this year. According to 11Alive, she hadn’t played a singles match since March 2024 and was listed as inactive by the WTA until this week. Despite the long break, Venus showed flashes of her classic power, hitting strong serves and solid groundstrokes.
The crowd at the DC Open cheered loudly as Williams stepped onto the court. Early in the match, she broke Stearns’ serve with sharp returns and showed impressive court coverage. Although she had some shaky moments, including a rough start where she lost her serve, Venus steadily took control and won 6-3, 6-4.
Closing the match took a few tries as Williams missed several match points. But finally, she landed a 112 mph ace that sealed the victory. Afterward, she smiled and celebrated with her signature post-win spin and wave.
Next, Venus will face Magdalena Frech, the tournament’s No. 5 seed. Meanwhile, other notable matches saw Emma Raducanu and Naomi Osaka advancing, while top men’s seeds faced some early exits.
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