Venus Williams wins in Washington doubles opener after 16-month layoff
It was a sharp turnaround. Down 3-1 and facing a break point, Venus and Baptiste rallied to win 11 of the last 12 games. This is Venus' second appearance at the D.C. event, following a first-round loss in 2022.
The 45-year-old former world number one, who accepted a wildcard for the tournament, had not competed since the Miami Open in March 2024 - and last won at the Cincinnati Open in August 2023.
"It was inspiring to be out here. I love this game and still hitting it big. I think from the first point I could see that we were going to be a good team. We just should have started playing earlier, years ago, right? I think Serena was just in the way," Venus told Sky Sports.
Venus, who does not have a ranking, won 14 major titles alongside Serena in the women's doubles, as the Williams sisters dominated the sport for many years.
She will face another American, Peyton Stearns, in the first round of the singles competition on Tuesday. When she takes the court as a wild card for her first singles match, she'll be the oldest player to compete at a WTA Tour-level main-draw match since Kimiko Date (then 46) seven years ago in Tokyo.
A victory on Tuesday Stearns, currently ranked No. 35, would make Williams the oldest to do it since Martina Navratilova (then 47) at Wimbledon 2004.
In the men's singles, Britain's Dan Evans and Cameron Norrie are through to the second round in Washington.
Evans, who won the Washington title in 2023, claimed a hard-fought win against Zizou Bergs 3-6, 6-4, 6-3. The 35-year-old wild card will next face 13th-seeded American Alex Michelsen.
Meanwhile, Norrie defeated British qualifier Billy Harris 6-3 7-6 (7-4) and faces French Open semi-finalist and second seed Lorenzo Musetti of Italy in the second round.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
28 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Can't stan this: How to stop being a crazy fan
Wearing a red football jersey every game day? Normal. Knowing the lyrics to all of Taylor Swift's songs and dancing to Love Story? Normal. But fighting strangers, friends and family because they believe DC makes better movies than Marvel, or that Chelsea saves goals better than Liverpool, or that Danish Sait is overrated? You may want to check yourself, Stan. Someone says they don't like Shah Rukh Khan? Relax; it isn't a personal attack. Fandoms are wonderful things. They help you find your tribe, make you believe in something larger than yourself. Daniel Wann, who researches the psychology of sports fandom at Murray State University in the US, describes being a fan as a 'very psychologically healthy activity,' in his public posts. Being around like-minded people lifts us up. It satisfies our human need for belonging, he says. Besides, where else will you spend your expendable income, if not on overpriced merch? But there's a clear line between loyalty and toxic obsession; between the ARMY and a troll army. Heed these signs. Fans of late Argentinian footballer Maradona set up a church in his honour. Bit much. Everything seems personal, suddenly. American marketing agency Buzz Radar used AI to scan 100 million posts on 2,47,000 Formula 1 fan accounts since 2016. They published their findings in February. Turns out, the community has become much more negative over the decade. The AI tool calculates that we can expect a further increase in toxicity (including death threats against drivers) over the next 18 months. Don't be that person, even outside of F1 fandom. Someone says they don't like Shah Rukh Khan and your blood pressure spikes? Pause. If you're constantly reaching out to strangers in comment sections to defend your idol, treat that as the first red flag. It means your identity is so tightly bound to a celebrity, team or a fictional character that criticism towards them feels like a personal attack. It means, you're no longer defending art. You're defending yourself. Jodie Foster's stalker John Hinckley believed he could 'impress' her by killing someone. You hate on people for having a different favourite. Of course, there's a Team Selena and a Team Hailey – competition is what keeps fandoms alive in the first place. But if you spend more time attacking the opposition than having a good time, and find yourself liking hate posts, smack talk, personal put-downs, and hateful language simply because they're aimed at an opposing group, it's a good sign that you're not a fan, you're a bully. Betting firm AceOdds used the main subreddit for every 2024/25 Premier League club to rank the most toxic fanbases in the league. Turns out Fulham fans are the nicest (3.23% vulgar comments). The worst: Wolverhampton Wanderers (7.43%), Nottingham Forest (7.12%) and West Ham (6.59). Supporting one side, one team, one idea, one band should feel good. It shouldn't make you want to tear someone down. The word 'stan' originated from Eminem's 2000s song of the same name. You feel like you 'know' your idols. Consuming all that content – all the films, all the promo clips, all the matches, all the GRWM vids, all the interviews – can trigger indigestion. Most superfans believe their devotion puts them in their idol's VIP zone, the inner circle. They believe they're now buddies with a famous person they've never met. Dr Laurel Williams, psychiatry and behavioural sciences researcher at Baylor College of Medicine in the US, says celebrities actively cultivate this artificial intimacy. They give people a peek into their lives and create a persona that their fans can emotionally invest in, because more interaction means more prestige and more money. On the flip side, some fans start to believe that they have power over their idols. They lash out when there's a new partner in the picture, when a movie casts a non-White actor, or when an actor keeps part of their life private. If you haven't realised that celebrity personas are curated to harvest fan attention, you might be in too deep. You crumble when they crumble. When a sports team loses, commiserating as a group helps individuals hold on to their self-esteem. But when a celebrity messes up morally, it's a test as much of the fan as the idol. Fan support, however strong, doesn't right a wrong. Rational fans should be able to appreciate someone's work while also holding them accountable for bad behaviour. A true supporter would expect better from their idol, instead of condoning their bad behaviour. If you can't process that someone criticising your favourite celebrity has nothing to do with you, that line's been crossed already. From HT Brunch, August 02, 2025 Follow us on
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Why is Triple H at the White House? WWE icon joins Trump to revive school fitness tests
Triple H showed up at the White House recently. Source: X Triple H recently surprised WWE fans when he was spotted at the White House, alongside President Donald Trump. WWE chief content officer Paul 'Triple H' Levesque joined Trump at the White House to sign an executive order to bring back the Presidential Fitness Test in schools. Kansas City Chiefs kicker, Harrison Butker and Swedish golfer Annika Sorenstam were also present at the White House for the same. This set of fitness tests was a fixture at American public schools for decades and was aimed at keeping school children fit with the help of basic exercises like 1-mile runs and stretching exercises. Triple H at the White House to help Donald Trump with bringing back important fitness initiative Triple H is the son-in-law of Trump's education secretary, Linda McMahon, who's of course, married to Vince McMahon, who basically shaped WWE (formerly WWF) into the global phenomenon it is today after he bought his father's company, Capitol Wrestling Corporation, in 1982. Triple H is the son-in-law of Trump's education secretary, Linda McMahon, who's of course, married to Vince McMahon, who basically shaped WWE (formerly WWF) into the global phenomenon it is today after he bought his father's company, Capitol Wrestling Corporation, in 1982. 'First of all, I'd like to say the same. Thank you to President Trump. Thank you for this honor. I'm humbled by it. I'm truly honored to be on this. Vice President Vance, thank you very much, Secretary Kennedy. Truly appreciate all that everybody is doing for the health and wellness of the entire country,' Triple H said on the podium. Triple H then went on to elaborate how fitness is an important part of his life. 'For me, since I was 14, this has been such an important part of my life. Health, fitness, sports, nutrition, all of it. I think learning that at a young age sets you up for success in life and without it, you're at a lesser place for it,' he said. He added, 'So I look forward to the opportunity to do this. I look forward to the opportunity to help make our youth healthy, help get them engaged in sports and let them learn what it takes to be successful in life. So thank you very much for the honor. Thank you." While many fans speculated that Triple H's presence makes sense considering his mum-in-law Linda is actually an important part of Trump's cabinet, it's possible that Ex-WWE Boss Vince McMahon was invited for the event but had to decline since he was part of an unfortunate multi-car crash recently. But that's not the only reason behind Triple H's presence at the White House. Trump himself has had a long-standing association with WWE. Donald Trump's association with WWE dates back to the late 1980s when Trump Plaza hosted WrestleMania IV and V. Besides the much-publicized "Battle of the Billionaires" at WrestleMania 23 in 2007, Trump has also made several on-screen appearances over the years, often playing up his business mogul persona in WWE shows. In 2013, WWE inducted Donald Trump into its Hall of Fame. For real-time updates, scores, and highlights, follow our live coverage of the India vs England Test match here. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic shares a thrilling 96-hour non-stop NYC escapade on Instagram
Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic shares a thrilling 96-hour non-stop NYC escapade on Instagram (Image Credit: Getty Images) Luka Doncic shared what he did during his 96-hour escapade to New York City. The Los Angeles Lakers star included events, photo shoot, shopping, and even a visit to the Yankees' stadium among other activities during his time in NYC. In one of the sections of the video, he is seen signing the sneakers and giving them away to lucky fans. The whole recap reflected the love and adulation he received from his fans there. Luka mesmerized everyone with his newly built physique and also demonstrated his incredible scoring skills while attending a young players' basketball event. Luka Doncic summed up his trip to NYC in a wholesome video The Los Angeles Lakers star recently visited New York City. He recapped the whole experience in a beautiful video and shared it on Instagram. He labeled the video as '96 hours in NYC' to give a complete account of everything he did during the trip to the American city. While in the city, he also made an appearance on a Today Network's show. View this post on Instagram A post shared by ColorsTV (@colorstv) Doncic gave a wholesome peek into his NYC trip, which was no less than a rollercoaster ride for the NBA star. He made every possible attempt to boost his connection with fans through giveaway and meet-and-greet events. The trip also included his visit to Yankees' stadium in New York where he was handed over a custom printed Yankees jersey, as per the video. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Is this legal? Access all TV channels without a subscription! Techno Mag Learn More Undo The high point of his trip was The One Global Finals, as mentioned by the Instagram account, Jordan. Mentioning Luka's appearance at the game, the account's post bore the caption, which read: 'Dyckman decides. NYC shows out for @lukadoncic and a spot in The One Global Finals on 8.23.' Luka Doncic's trip to NYC was full of zesty celebrations and also comprised interactions with fans and young players. The Lakers star summed up the whole experience in a video, which also grabbed his teammate LeBron James' attention. LeBron James dropped endearing comment on Luka Doncic's NYC trip video Amidst Luka Doncic expressing his desire that LeBron James should retire while being with the Los Angeles Lakers, LeBron dropped an interesting comment on Luka Doncic's rounding up of his NYC trip. LeBron's comment did not include any text but a lot of fire emojis. "🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥" LeBron James dropped fire emoticons on Luka Doncic's video (Source: Luka/Instagram) While Luka Doncic's offseason comprised his complete work on himself, which earned him a shocking physique in a very short time, LeBron James had a very different itinerary. From spotted working out at the Los Angeles Clippers arena, to meeting Nikola Jokic's agent, and fending off his musical taste buds in between by attending music shows, etc., LeBron James got everyone intrigued. To add fuel to offseason drama, his retirement news and the speculations of being traded to different teams surfaced from time to time. Amidst all the action, LeBron acknowledged Luka's round-up of the NYC trip showed pure brotherhood between the two Lakers stars. Doncic also took time off to meet young basketball players and witness them in action during his NYC trip. The Lakers' star must have fulfilled several fans' wishes and received tons of love in return, too. Also Read: Luka Doncic wants LeBron James to finish his career with Los Angeles Lakers despite growing tensions For real-time updates, scores, and highlights, follow our live coverage of the India vs England Test match here. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
