Venus Williams makes winning return to tennis aged 45
The all-American pair defeated compatriot Clervie Ngounoue and the retiring Eugenie Bouchard 6-3, 6-1 in the round of 16 for Williams' first victory on the WTA Tour since August 2023, when she defeated Veronika Kudermetova in the opening round of the Cincinnati Open.
Williams, 45, gave her signature twirl after the match as she took in the adulation of the capacity crowd.
'It's just nice to be able to play,' Williams said after the match, per the Associated Press.
'Where I am at this year is so much different where I was at last year. It's night and day, being able to be here and prepare for the tournament as opposed to preparing for surgery a year ago.'
Williams told NBC earlier this month that she had undergone surgery to remove fibroids from her uterus, a condition she said had affected her career and life for years.
'At the end of the day, it doesn't really matter if your health is not there,' she added. 'So, it definitely put it in perspective for me and maybe made it easier to make the decision to maybe come back out here and maybe play even freer.'
It was the first time Williams had stepped onto the court at all for an official match since an opening-round defeat to Diana Shnaider at the Miami Open in March 2024. Her last doubles match was almost three years ago.
Williams, who is currently without a ranking in singles or doubles, has won seven grand slam singles titles and 14 in doubles alongside youngster sister Serena, as well as two mixed doubles titles in 1998.
After the win, Williams joked that her and Baptiste should have partnered up much sooner.
'I think, from the first point, I could see that we were going to be a good team,' she said. 'We just should have started playing earlier, years ago, right? I think Serena was just in the way.'
Williams, who accepted wild cards to compete in the singles and doubles, will make her return in the singles competition when she faces American Peyton Stearns in the opening round on Tuesday.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


CBC
7 minutes ago
- CBC
National Bank Open's longer format is bad news for tennis fans, players: experts
Social Sharing Toronto tennis fans were served up disappointment after the likes of Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and other top players dropped out of the National Bank Open this year — a trend experts say could repeat if the tournament structure doesn't change. The National Bank Open (NBO) expanded from one week to 12-days of competition, with the men facing off in Toronto and the women in Montreal from July 26 to Aug. 7. This year the tournament comes two weeks after Wimbledon and is immediately followed by the Cincinnati Open and the U.S. Open a week after that. The change limits the amount of rest time for top players, said Gill Gross, tennis commentator with Monday Match Analysis. "Tennis is played 11 months out of the year. So, it is a grind for these players as is, but the expansion of the Masters 1000 to two-week events has actually made it worse," he said. "They're spending more days out of the year at tournaments, living in hotels, out of suitcases, living with the anxiety that they feel just in that tournament mode, instead of being at home." Gross and a former professional Canadian tennis player both say the NBO will continue to see withdrawals from tennis stars in the future if the elongated Masters 1000 schedule isn't changed. While NBO Toronto tournament director Karl Hale says he's excited for the new format, he says they will discuss possible changes with the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP). "We're going to have talks with the tours about how we can mitigate against this, so we have some really good ideas," Hale said. "I just think the 12 days is bigger, better for the tournament, for the fans, more broadcasts … more kids watching and participating in tennis. So I think it's better for tennis in Canada." Hale says Wimbledon's earlier schedule means players will have a longer break period ahead of the NBO next year. World No. 1 Sinner, No. 2 Alcaraz, 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic and world No. 5 Jack Draper pulled out of the ATP Masters-level hardcourt event earlier this week, citing injuries. WATCH | Canadian tennis player Vasek Pospisil will retire following the 2025 NBO: Canadian tennis pro Vasek Pospisil announces retirement from the sport| Hanomansing Tonight 19 hours ago Could fewer stars benefit Canadian players? Gross says the NBO's expansion from one to two weeks of competitions initially seemed like a good idea, with more games for fans and more money for tournaments. "The rationale originally was you stretch out the premium product … that is your money-making product," he said, adding days off between matches initially seemed to address the needed rest time for players. Instead, former tennis player Bobby Mahal says players prefer weeks of rest ahead of the Masters and the U.S. Open. "That rest period is so crucial because you have got to remember that Sinner and Alcaraz played in the French Open, then they go all the way to the Wimbledon final," he said. However, Mahal says the changing lineup is good news for Canadian players and fans. "We can now watch the event and cheer on the Canadians. I think we have got two Canadians in the top 30 now with legitimate chances for deep runs in Felix (Auger-Aliassime) and Denis (Shapovalov)," he said. 'These kids have trained in Canada their whole life … so that hometown crowd plus the hometown conditions is a huge factor that can help them." WATCH | Canadian players Felix Auger-Aliassime and Bianca Andreescu win big ahead of the NBO: Canadians Auger-Aliassime and Andreescu win the Hopman Cup 3 days ago Canada won the Hopman Cup for the first time, as Bianca Andreescu and Felix Auger-Aliassime beat Italy's Lucia Bronzetti and Flavio Cobolli 6-3, 6-3 in the deciding doubles match in Bari, Italy. Auger-Aliassime is ranked 27 and Shapovalov is 28 in the world, according to the ATP's website. Hale says he's also hoping for a Canadian victory, similar to Bianca Andreescu's win at the NBO in 2019. "The tour is really tough and injuries are part of the tour and it benefits the Canadians. So we're looking forward to the Canadians coming of age this year," he said.


Winnipeg Free Press
36 minutes ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Jayden Daniels' first 11-on-11 throw of camp is an over-the-shoulder connection with Deebo Samuel
ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — Picture what Jayden Daniels can do for an encore now that he's experienced against NFL opposition. Teammate Bobby Wagner has seen enough to imagine it. 'The confidence will grow. Understanding what teams are trying to do, the mixing of coverages. Playing against those defenses is going to serve him really good (now),' said Wagner, a linebacker entering his 14th season in the league. 'I think he's going to make a big, big leap.' It took just one pass on Day 1 of the Washington Commanders' training camp Wednesday to justify the belief in the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner and 2024 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. On his first toss in 11-on-11 drills, Daniels, working from the high red zone, looked left for one of his newest targets, Deebo Samuel. The design — two receivers on crossing routes, with Samuel running a slot fade — isolated the former 49ers Pro Bowler in a 1-on-1 matchup. Tight coverage from second-year safety Tyler Owens left Daniels with a minuscule margin for error. Still, Daniels threaded a perfect ball into the tightest of windows, landing it over the shoulder in stride. Even with the understanding that the no-pads practice is closer to a walkthrough than live game action, the pass had onlookers gasping. Daniels' brilliance in leading Washington to its first NFC championship game appearance since 1991 raised expectations to the point where maybe no bar is high enough. 'One thing I've learned over the year from Jayden,' coach Dan Quinn said, '(is) there are no limits on him.' Whether the same can be said for the Commanders, coming off a surprising 12-5 regular season, followed by playoff wins at Tampa Bay and Detroit, is another question. Having the preternaturally poised and athletically gifted Daniels keeps optimism high for 2025 and beyond. That's in part because of Daniels' mentality. Despite the massive attention following his dynamic debut — Daniels became the only rookie quarterback in league history with at least 3,500 passing yards (3,568) and 750 rushing yards (a rookie-record 891) — he arrived at camp with his feet firmly on the ground. 'That's kind of just who I am: gratitude and humility,' Daniels said about focusing amid an increasingly chaotic world around him. 'I don't really look too much into everything, but I would just say just my inner circle, the people I talk to, the people closest to me — they help me stay grounded.' Daniels said he spent the offseason focused on fundamentals. Footwork in the pocket. Keeping his eyes on the field. Scenarios where he might need to break a tackle or escape pressure. Washington's offense soared last season with tone-setters Daniels and Terry McLaurin. The second-team All-Pro receiver — who can become a free agent after this season — skipped a chunk of the offseason program because of a contract dispute and remained away from the team as camp opened. Washington placed McLaurin on the reserve/did not report list Tuesday. Daniels supports his teammate — 'We know he's working; he's still our brother,' the QB said — while downplaying any notion of a chemistry calamity from McLaurin's absence. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. 'I think it's an overstated thing,' Daniels said. 'Obviously, me and Terry have a very good relationship. That's just the business of the NFL. Whenever that time comes, and he's back out on the field, I don't think we'll miss a beat.' As the pass to Samuel showed, Daniels certainly hasn't. NOTES: The Commanders placed right guard Sam Cosmi on the physically unable to perform list. Cosmi had ACL surgery after getting injured during Washington's divisional round playoff victory against the Lions. The standard recovery time suggests an October return, but Quinn spoke optimistically about possibly having the starter back earlier. ___ AP NFL:


CBC
2 hours ago
- CBC
Boston Fleet sign Toronto-area native Kris Sparre to coach PWHL club
The Boston Fleet have hired Kris Sparre as the second head coach in the Professional Women's Hockey League franchise's history. Sparre, a 38-year-old veteran assistant with no experience in the women's game, replaces Courtney Kessel, who had a 27-19-8 record and a Walter Cup Finals appearance before leaving to take over at Princeton. Her departure leaves only two female head coaches among the PWHL's eight teams. "This is a league that has tremendous momentum right now. And to be able to work in a city like Boston, that has such a rich tradition in winning, and building successful teams, is something I don't take lightly and am tremendously excited about," Sparre said Wednesday at his introductory news conference in Wellesley, Mass. "I want to carry on that tradition. I want to make the Boston Fleet a championship-level program that we can all be proud of." A Toronto-area native, Sparre played nine seasons as a forward in the minor leagues and in Germany and coached in the Ontario Hockey League, American Hockey League and Austria's top league. He was an assistant coach for Red Bull Salzburg from 2019-21 before spending three seasons with the San Diego Gulls, the AHL affiliate of the Anaheim Ducks. Making the move to women's hockey gave him the chance to deal with the sport's elite. "It was important for me that I wanted to work with the highest level of athletes possible," he said. "They're motivated people. They want to get better. That's my skillset; that's my wheelhouse. That's where I want to live. And so, when this opportunity came up, I didn't look at it as 'men's [vs.] women's.' I looked at as the best option to work with the best in the world." Fleet general manager Danielle Marmer said Sparre's experience in the AHL, where coaches need to balance winning with player development, will make him a good fit. Marmer, who spent time in the Boston Bruins player development department, said Sparre's lack of experience coaching women did not scare her off. "I don't have a concern about the fact that he hasn't coached women's hockey," she said. "These are professional athletes. He's coached professional athletes. He's coached the best players in the game. Our players want to be treated like pros, and they want to learn from the best. And I think that's what we're doing here with bringing Kris in." The Fleet have eight players remaining from the roster that reached finals in the PWHL's inaugural season. But they are looking to replace 36-year-old captain and league MVP finalist Hilary Knight, who was left unprotected in the expansion draft and is moving to Seattle after a season in which she tied for the league lead with 29 points. "These are the best players in the world, the best women's hockey players in the world," said Sparre, who was headed out for lobster rolls after the media session. "We've got to be humble. … We can learn a lot from them, too."