At 45 years old, Venus Williams showcased her enduring talent by defeating 22-year-old Peyton Stearns 6-3, 6-4 at the DC Open on Tuesday night. This victory marks a significant milestone, making Williams the second-oldest woman to win a tour-level singles match in professional tennis history.
Williams' last singles win came nearly two years ago, and she had not participated in an official match since March 2024 due to surgery for uterine fibroids. The only older player to achieve a tour-level victory is Martina Navratilova, who won at 47 in 2004.
"It is not easy," Williams remarked about her return to the court after such a long hiatus. "To come back after all that time and play the perfect match." Yet, the support from the crowd was palpable, as fans rallied behind her during the hard-court tournament in Washington, D.C.
Displaying flashes of her former glory, Williams executed powerful serves and groundstrokes reminiscent of her Grand Slam-winning days. With seven singles titles, 14 in women's doubles alongside sister Serena, and two in mixed doubles, her legacy remains formidable.
"I wanted to play a good match," she told the audience, eliciting cheers when she added, "and win the match." In the second game of the match, Williams opened with a return winner and quickly broke Stearns, who is currently ranked 35th and boasts NCAA titles from her time at the University of Texas.
As the match progressed, Williams demonstrated her agility by sprinting to reach a drop shot and responding with a winner. She surged ahead to a 4-2 lead before closing out the first set, much to the delight of the crowd.
The atmosphere was electric as Williams entered the main stadium, which seats 7,000—more than double the venue for her doubles victory just a day prior. Cheers erupted when she hit aces exceeding 110 mph, reminiscent of her prime.
However, there were moments that revealed her time away from competition. In the opening game, she struggled with unforced errors, including three forehands that went wide or into the net.
Despite facing challenges in closing out the match—repeatedly holding match points without converting—Williams ultimately sealed her victory with a powerful 112 mph serve that Stearns could not return. A broad smile spread across her face as she jogged to the net for the customary handshake and celebrated with her signature pirouette-and-wave.
With this win, Williams advances to face No. 5 seed Magdalena Frech from Poland in the second round.
In other matches on Tuesday, Emma Raducanu eliminated No. 7 seed Marta Kostyuk with a score of 7-6 (4), 6-4, setting up a clash with four-time major champion Naomi Osaka, who defeated Yulia Putintseva 6-2, 7-5. Additionally, two top men's seeds faced early exits: Cam Norrie triumphed over No. 2 Lorenzo Musetti 3-6, 6-2, 6-3, while No. 3 Holger Rune withdrew due to a back injury. No. 4 seed Ben Shelton secured a win against Mackie McDonald with a score of 6-3, 6-4.
