Venus Williams wins doubles match in return to tourney play
Venus Williams marked her return to the WTA Tour by teaming up with Washington native Hailey Baptiste and defeating Eugenie Bouchard of Canada and Clervie Ngounoue 6-3, 6-1, in a first-round doubles match at the Mubadala Citi D.C. Open on Monday.
Williams, 45, had not competed since March 2024 at the Miami Open. Earning a wild card to compete in D.C., the seven-time major singles champion will face 23-year-old Peyton Stearns in singles competition in the featured match on Tuesday night.
Three thousand fans -- including NBA star and tennis fan Kevin Durant -- packed cozy John Harris Court to witness Williams' return and cheer on her partner, one of their hometown favorites. The Williams-Stearns match will be played on the main Stadium Court and will likely be filled as well.
Williams will be the oldest woman to compete at a WTA tour-level main draw match since Kimiko Date (then 46) took the court in Tokyo in 2018. Should Williams upset the 35th-ranked Stearns, she would become the oldest player to earn a victory since Martina Navratilova won a match at Wimbledon in 2004 as a 47-year-old.
Moreover, Williams and Reilly Opelka have signed up for the newly-formatted mixed doubles competition at this year's U.S. Open. They would need a wild-card entry to compete in that event, to be held on Aug. 19-20, before the singles and doubles competitions get underway on Aug. 25.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBC
34 minutes ago
- CBC
NBA star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander shares wisdom and 'aura' with aspiring basketball players
It was a very special day for some young basketball players in Toronto, as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was in town for an event hosted by his father Vaughan's non-profit. The NBA all-star, MVP, and champion shared some words of wisdom, as well as his 'aura' with those who attended. CBC's Lane Harrison has the story.
Canada News.Net
4 hours ago
- Canada News.Net
WTA roundup: Leylah Fernandez wins biggest title of career in D.C.
(Photo credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images) Canadian Leylah Fernandez swept to a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Russia's Anna Kalinskaya to win the Mubadala Citi D.C. Open on Sunday in Washington. Fernandez, 22, earned her fourth career WTA title, but her previous victories in 2021, 2022 and 2023 were all at WTA 250-tier events. The D.C. Open marks her first WTA 500 victory. She had to take a challenging path to the final, defeating No. 1 seed Jessica Pegula and No. 3 seed Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan along the way. She needed just 69 minutes to dominate Sunday's final. She saved both break points she faced, won 30 of 40 first-service points (75 percent) and capitalized on Kalinskaya's messy service games. The Russian won less than half of her total service points (18 of 38). Omnium Banque Nationale Spaniard Jessica Bouzas Maneiro pulled out a 5-7, 7-5, 6-4 comeback victory over Louisa Chirico that lasted three hours and six minutes on the first day of action at the WTA 1000 event in Montreal. Bouzas Maneiro fired 11 aces but committed 15 double faults. Both players kept the game going by holding steady on break point: Bouzas Maneiro saved 9 of 13 break points, but Chirico saved 16 of 21. They held serve to begin the third set and Bouzas Maneiro trailed 4-3 before she ripped off the final three games. Other three-set winners Sunday included Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic, Suzan Lamens of the Netherlands, Japan's Aoi Ito and Romanian Jaqueline Cristian. Canadian Victoria Mboko and China's Lin Zhu also advanced.
Winnipeg Free Press
7 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Naomi Osaka announces she is no longer working with coach Patrick Mouratoglou
WASHINGTON (AP) — Naomi Osaka and coach Patrick Mouratoglou are done working together after less than a year, the four-time Grand Slam champion announced Sunday on social media. 'Merci Patrick,' Osaka began her post, with a photo of her hitting a practice serve while he stands nearby. 'It was such a great experience learning from you. Wishing you nothing but the best. You are one of the coolest people I've ever met and I'm sure I'll see you around.' The news comes three days after Osaka lost her second match at the D.C. Open and just before she begins competing in Toronto. The U.S. Open, the year's last major tournament and an event Osaka won twice, begins in New York on Aug. 24. Osaka hired Mouratoglou — who was the longtime coach of Serena Williams — when she fired Wim Fissette shortly after her second-round exit at last year's U.S. Open. Osaka, a former No. 1, is currently ranked 51st and has a 21-11 record this season. She hasn't been past the third round at a Grand Slam tournament since winning the 2021 Australian Open. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. ___ AP tennis:
