Latest news with #Serena Williams
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Venus Williams wins doubles match at DC Open in return to tournament play
The post Venus Williams wins doubles match at DC Open in return to tournament play appeared first on ClutchPoints. Venus Williams had a dominant return to the court in doubles at the DC Open. The 45-year-old tennis icon had last played at the 2024 Miami Open and appeared to be retired after a decorated career. In singles, Williams' accolades include winning seven major titles, including five at Wimbledon and two at the US Open, winning the individual gold medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, and achieving the world No. 1 ranking on numerous occasions. While that is an all-time great resume, Venus might be an even better player in doubles. Alongside her sister Serena, Venus has won 14 doubles majors, including each slam at least twice, and three Olympic gold medals. To add on, Williams also has two grand slams in mixed doubles. Serena, who is by most accounts the greatest women's singles player of all time, has admitted several times that Venus is the better doubles player between the two. And Williams showed several flashes of that legendary form alongside Hailey Baptiste. The two Americans were taking on fellow compatriot Clervie Ngounoue and Canada's Eugenie Bouchard in the first round of the DC Open. Bouchard is in the midst of her own retirement tour, which will conclude later this month at the National Bank Open in Montreal. After a slow start, which saw them down 3-1, Williams and Baptiste rallied to win eleven of the match's last twelve games, ultimately securing a 6-3, 6-1 victory. Venus, who has been nursing several lower-body injuries over the past few years, especially around her knees, looked fresher and mobile than she had last year, hitting her legendary backhand cleanly and finishing multiple points at the net. While the two Americans have a second-round match coming up soon, Williams will now turn her attention to singles, where she will play another American, Peyton Stearns, in the round of 32. The 23-year-old is a rising star on the pro level after a decorated college career at Texas. Stearns is currently ranked No. 33 in the world and the clear favorite heading into this match. Williams has already made it clear that she is participating in the US Open in mixed doubles alongside Reilly Opelka. And, after one match, it certainly looks like Venus is in form to compete at this level in the doubles sphere. Tomorrow against Stearns will likely go a long way in determining whether Williams will seek a wild-card entry into the US Open main draw in singles. Overall, regardless of what happens, it's great to see an icon of the game still able to play and succeed at this level. Every match for Williams going forward is a celebration. Related: Venus Williams' honest take on Serena Williams' retirement
Independent Singapore
22-07-2025
- Sport
- Independent Singapore
Venus Williams returns to tennis, hopes her sister Serena will end retirement and join her
INTERNATIONAL: American tennis player Venus Williams is back on the tennis scene and preparing for her first match in more than a year. She will make her comeback at the DC Open. She admitted she would be even happier if her younger sister, Serena Williams, also played with her. The athlete's most recent tournament was the Miami Open in March 2024, where she was unfortunately knocked out in the first round. As she has not competed since then, the official WTA Tour marks her as 'inactive' on their website. Her sister, Serena Williams, has not played tennis since the 2022 US Open. During her athletic journey, Serena won 23 major singles titles and 14 more in the doubles category with Venus. Venus admitted: 'I keep saying to my team: The only thing that would make this better is if she was here. Like, we always did everything together, so of course I miss her… But if she comes back, I'm sure she'll let y'all know.' See also Singaporean graduate referee Taqi goes to Qatar World Cup 'I don't know what she's going to do. I don't ask those questions… I think we always hit the ball, because that's who we are. We're always hitting,' the athlete added. She stated that Serena came by and played with her during her recent practice session, which took about 15 to 20 minutes. 'She can take six months off and she clocks it clean,' Venus said. 'You can't teach that kind of talent. She's just so good,' the athlete also shared. About her comeback, Venus remarked: 'This is very special for me to come back and play tennis… I think it's a surprise for the fans — and a surprise in general, as I hold my cards tight.' 'I'm just here for now, and who knows?… Maybe there's more. … But at the moment, I'm focused just on this. I haven't played in a year. There is no doubt I can play tennis, but obviously, coming back to play matches, it takes time to get in the swing of things. I definitely feel I'll play well. I'm still the same player. I'm a big hitter. I hit big. This is my brand,' she added. See also Canadian Vasek Pospisil ends Davis Cup career DC Open chairman Mark Ein admitted that he was shocked that Venus agreed to play in Washington through a wildcard entry. Ein declared: 'She's such an icon of the sport — and, importantly, both on and off the court… So anytime you can have her engaged and have the spotlight on her and everything she's done and continues to do, it's hugely positive.' On social media, netizens showed their support to Venus by stating: 'Fans want to see Venus and she is an amazing ambassador for the sport and for female athletes. I'm thrilled she is still competing. ❤️,' and 'I will say it again, champions get to retire when they are ready. She has earned every wild card she gets for what she has given to the game.' However, some netizens were not thrilled by her comeback and commented that she should now retire and offer the wildcard spot to a younger player. One netizen declared: 'It's time. Let someone else play that needs the ranking points, the money, and the experience. We love you, Venus, but it's time. Join the Legends bracket.' Another netizen remarked: 'Taking a wildcard spot from people who have been working their tail off for the opportunity is wild work. Just stay retired and enjoy being one of the greats!'
Yahoo
21-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
WTA news: Venus Williams accepts first tournament invite of 2025
The post WTA news: Venus Williams accepts first tournament invite of 2025 appeared first on ClutchPoints. Venus Williams has not competed in a WTA tennis event in more than a year, but that streak is about to end. She has accepted a Wild Card invitation to participate in the DC Open later this month, and she is looking forward to putting her skills to the test. The 45-year-old is the older sister of all-time great Serena Williams. Venus is a seven-time Grand Slam champion. She won on the grass courts of Wimbledon five times and earned the championship at the U.S. Open twice. She was also a two-time finalist at the Australian Open and also made it to the championship round on the red clay of Roland Garros (French Open) once. 'There's something truly special about D.C.: the energy, the fans, the history,' Williams said in a statement. 'This city has always shown me so much love, and I can't wait to compete there again.' In addition to Williams, Zhen Qinwen, the No. 6 player in the world has been added to the D.C. Open. Some of the other top players competing include Jessica Pegula, defending champion Paul Badosa, Emma Navarro, Elena Rybakina, Emma Radacanu, Sofia Kenin and Naomi Osaka. Wimbledon finalist Amanda Anisimova is also scheduled to play in D.C. She will make her debut in the Top 10 when the new rankings come out Monday. Venus Williams has a long history of success in WTA events Venus Williams is the former No. 1 player in the world and was a formidable competitor in women's tennis for many years. She has won the championship at 49 events and she has a remarkable career won-lost record of 818-278. Her career has been quite lucrative, as she has earned $42.6 million in prize money. The 6-1 Williams won her first Wimbledon title in 2002, and she also won the U.S. Open that year. She repeated the double the following year. She picked up additional Wimbledon championships in 2005, 2007 and 2008. Her last appearance in a Grand Slam Final came at Wimbledon in 2017. Event organizers are thrilled that Williams has decided to play in the D.C. Open. 'We are so excited that Venus will be playing in the Mubadala Citi DC Open this year,' said Mark Ein, the event's chairman. 'She has inspired people around the world with her accomplishments on the court and her visionary impact off the court. I know how much it means to our D.C. fans and community to be able to watch her compete in person this summer.' Related: Wimbledon news: Novak Djokovic gives prediction for blockbuster Carlos Alcaraz-Jannik Sinner final Related: Jannik Sinner breaks Roger Federer's record with Novak Djokovic Wimbledon takedown
CNN
21-07-2025
- Sport
- CNN
Venus Williams wishes sister Serena would come out of retirement to join her in competition
As Venus Williams prepares to make her tennis comeback at the DC Open after more than a year away from the sport, she has unsurprisingly fielded questions from reporters on a video her sister, Serena, recently posted on social media. In the video, the younger Williams sister looks as athletic as she did during her career, crushing huge groundstrokes that were such a nightmare for her opponents. So, is there a Serena comeback on the cards, too? 'I mean, I keep saying to my team: 'The only thing that would make this better is if she was here,' like we always did everything together, so of course I miss her,' Venus told reporters ahead of her return, per the Associated Press. 'But if she comes back, I'm sure she'll let y'all know.' Williams went on to tell reporters about a recent training session that her sister briefly joined, remarking at how well she was still striking the ball after time away from the court. Serena – who won 23 grand slam singles titles, 14 in doubles with her sister and two mixed doubles titles – last played competitively at the 2022 US Open. 'She can take six months off and she clocks it clean,' Williams said. 'You can't teach that kind of talent. She's just so good. I don't know what she's going to do. I don't ask those questions. I think we always hit the ball because that's who we are, we're always hitting.' Venus Williams, a seven-time grand slam singles champion, last played a WTA Tour match in March 2024 when she lost in the opening round of the Miami Open to Russian Diana Shnaider. The 45-year-old's last singles win on the tour was in 2023 against Russia's Veronika Kudermetova in the opening round of the Cincinnati Open. She is currently without a ranking and is listed as 'inactive' on the WTA website. 'You know, I believe in love and those around me, so my family, my friends,' Williams said of her desire to continue playing. 'They keep me going and keep me grounded. 'Those are the people that are there for you when the things are lowest. They're there for you also when the things are highest because also it's hard too when you're high and trying to maintain that and trying to deal with what's happening when you're high and low. 'So, the love always gets you through.'
ABC News
21-07-2025
- Sport
- ABC News
Venus Williams to play Washington's DC Open, her first tournament in more than a year
Venus Williams is back on the tennis scene, ready to compete for the first time in more than a year at the DC Open. And she has teased to the media she would love it if her sister Serena Williams came back too. "I keep saying to my team: The only thing that would make this better is if she was here," Venus said when asked about a recent video on social media that showed Serena swinging a racquet. "Like, we always did everything together, so of course I miss her. "But if she comes back, I'm sure she'll let y'all know." Serena, 43, hasn't played since the 2022 US Open, when she declared she was "evolving" away from the sport she dominated for stretches on the way to 23 grand slam singles titles and an additional 14 in doubles with Venus. "I don't know what she's going to do. I don't ask those questions," Venus said a day before the start of the hard court tournament in Washington. "I think we always hit the ball, because that's who we are. We're always hitting." She said Serena showed up at a recent practice session and joined in for about 15 or 20 minutes. "She can take six months off and she clocks it clean," Venus said. "You can't teach that kind of talent. She's just so good." They both were the best around at one point. Both reached number one in the rankings. Venus, who turned 45 last month, won seven major singles championships, two at the US Open and five at Wimbledon. Her last tournament was in March 2024 at the Miami Open, where she exited in the first round. It's been so long that the official WTA Tour website lists her as "inactive". Williams is drawn to meet fellow American Peyton Stearns in the round of 32 on Wednesday (Australian time). "This is very special for me to come back and play tennis," Venus said. "I think it's a surprise for the fans — and a surprise in general, as I hold my cards tight." It came as a bit of a shock to the tennis world when her appearance in Washington via a wild card invitation was announced a week ago. Do you have a story idea about women in sport? Email us abcsport5050@ Her team had reached out to DC Open chairman Mark Ein via text in April to gauge whether he would be open to having Venus at an event she last entered in 2022. He said he needed two seconds to reply: "Of course." "She's such an icon of the sport — and, importantly, both on and off the court," Ein said in an interview. "So anytime you can have her engaged and have the spotlight on her and everything she's done and continues to do, it's hugely positive." What did she miss the most while away from the tour? "All the times that I had and, of course, the adrenaline, all those things," Venus said. "Just the pure fun of playing the game, the fun of the challenge, overcoming. When you play, you overcome so many challenges: your opponents, the conditions. A lot of times you have to overcome yourself. Those things are very exciting." When asked why she's getting back on court, Venus offered a simple response: "Why not?" As for whether this is a one-stop tour or she plans to play elsewhere, she wasn't prepared to say much. "I'm just here for now, and who knows?" Venus said. "Maybe there's more. … But at the moment, I'm focused just on this. I haven't played in a year. There is no doubt I can play tennis, but obviously coming back to play matches, it takes time to get in the swing of things. "I definitely feel I'll play well. I'm still the same player. I'm a big hitter. I hit big. This is my brand." AP
