US tennis icon Venus Williams has turned back the clock, scoring her first singles win in almost two years at the 2025 DC Open hardcourt tournament this week.
With her straight-set Tuesday victory over fellow US pro and world No. 35 Peyton Stearns, the 45-year-old Williams became the oldest player to win a WTA singles match since then-47-year-old Martina Navratilova did so at Wimbledon in 2004.
"I'm here with my friends, family, people I love, and the fans, too, who I love and they love me, so this has been just a beautiful night," the seven-time Grand Slam winner said after the match.
Williams's DC Open run also saw her snag an opening two-set doubles victory alongside fellow US partner Hailey Baptiste on Monday, though the pair fell in a three-set battle to the No. 2-seed duo of US star Taylor Townsend and China's Zhang Shuai on Wednesday.
Next on the tennis legend's DC Open docket is a Round of 16 clash with No. 5 seed and world No. 24 Polish contender Magdalena Fręch, as Williams takes her comeback push one match at a time.
"It doesn't matter how many times you fall down. Doesn't matter how many times you get sick or get hurt or whatever it is," she said. "If you continue to believe and put in the work, there is an opportunity, there is space for you."
How to watch Venus Williams at the 2025 DC Open
Williams will hit the court against Fręch at 7:30 PM ET on Thursday, airing live on the Tennis Channel.
US tennis icon Venus Williams is back in action, returning to the hard court to feature in both the singles and doubles competition at the 2025 DC Open this week.
The seven-time Grand Slam champion will face off against fellow US player and world No. 35 Peyton Stearns in their tournament opener on Tuesday — the unranked 45-year-old's first official competitive match since exiting the 2024 Miami Open in the first round some 16 months ago.
"Why not?" Williams said of her DC Open wild card berth. "I love the game. And the hard courts, it's my favorite surface, what I feel comfortable on."
"My personal goal is to have fun I think right now and enjoy the moment, not put too much pressure on myself," she added.
As one top talent hops back into the spotlight, however, another is stepping out of it, as two-time Wimbledon finalist and current world No. 72 Ons Jabeur announced last Thursday that she's taking an indefinite leave from professional tennis.
"For the past two years, I've been pushing myself so hard, fighting through injuries and facing many other challenges," the former world No. 2 wrote in an Instagram post. "But deep down, I haven't truly felt happy on the court for some time now."
"Tennis is such a beautiful sport," the barrier-breaking 30-year-old Tunisian star added. "But right now, I feel it's time to take a step back and finally put myself first: to breathe, to heal, and to rediscover the joy of simply living."
How to watch Venus Williams at the 2025 DC Open
Williams' return to the WTA court begins on Monday, when the legend will pair up with fellow US player Hailey Baptiste in an opening doubles match against the US's Clervie Ngounoue and Canada's Eugenie Bouchard at 2:30 PM ET.
Her 2025 DC Open singles campaign kicks off against Stearns at 10 AM ET on Tuesday.
Live coverage of all tournament matches will air on the Tennis Channel.