Latest news with #SerenaWilliams
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Venus Williams returns to tennis with a new perspective, victory. 'It's just nice to be able to play'
Venus and Serena Williams were a pretty decent doubles team over the years. The sisters from Compton won 14 majors and three Olympic gold medals as a duo. But it turns out that the older sister was being held back by her younger sibling — at least that's what Venus Williams joked on Monday after winning her first match with new doubles partner Hailey Baptiste during the first round of the D.C. Open. 'I think, from the first point, I could see that we were going to be a good team," Williams said during her on-court interview following the American duo's 6-3, 6-1 victory against Eugenie Bouchard and Clervie Ngounoue. "We just should have started playing earlier, years ago, right? I think Serena was just in the way.' After the capacity crowd of around 3,000 roared with laughter at the quip, Williams smiled and waved to the camera: "Sorry, Serena." Read more: I completed my years-long quest to play at every L.A. tennis court. These 10 stand out Williams, 45, had every right to be giddy after a successful return to the court following a 16-month hiatus, during which she underwent a medical procedure to remove fibroids from her uterus last July. 'It's just nice to be able to play," Williams said during her postmatch news conference with Baptiste. "Where I am at this year is so much different than 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.' She added: "Tennis is a game. It's our life. It's literally our obsession. ... But at the end of the day, it doesn't really matter if your health is not there. 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.' Williams' comeback is just getting started. The seven-time major winner and one-time Olympic gold medalist is scheduled to face Peyton Stearns of the United States in the first round of the women's singles tournament at 4:30 p.m. PDT Tuesday. Read more: A 'floating' tennis club with good vibes and a pinch of country club swagger? These Angelenos created it Later this week, Williams and Baptiste will face the winner of Tuesday's match between Cristina Bucsa/Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Taylor Townsend/Shuai Zhang in the women's doubles quarterfinals. As for Serena Williams, the 23-time major singles champion hasn't played since "evolving away from tennis" following the 2022 U.S. Open, where she and Venus lost in the first round in doubles and she advanced to the third round in singles before losing to Australian Ajla Tomljanovic in her final match. 'I keep saying to my team: The only thing that would make this better is if she was here," Venus Williams said of her sister while speaking to reporters Sunday. "Like, we always did everything together, so of course I miss her.' The Associated Press contributed to this report. Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Khaleej Times
6 hours ago
- Sport
- Khaleej Times
Venus Williams makes a comeback at 45, wins doubles match
Venus Williams enjoyed a winning return to tennis after more than a year away from the game as the 45-year-old American teamed up with compatriot Hailey Baptiste to win their round of 16 women's doubles tie at the Washington Open on Monday. The seven-times Grand Slam singles champion had not played a competitive match in 16 months, with her last appearance on the WTA Tour coming at the Miami Open in March last year. Williams and Baptiste beat Eugenie Bouchard and Clervie Ngounoue 6-3 6-1 to reach the quarterfinals in Washington, and the former world number one said if felt "inspiring" to be back on court. "It wasn't easy for us but we brought it together quickly as a team. I love this game and still hitting it big," Williams told Sky Sports. Williams enjoyed playing with 23-year-old Baptiste so much she joked that she should have teamed up with her years ago instead of playing with her younger sister Serena, who she won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles with. "I could see that we were going to be a good team. We just should have started playing earlier, years ago, right?" she said. "I think Serena was just in the way."
Malay Mail
11 hours ago
- Sport
- Malay Mail
Venus Williams triumphant during comeback at Washington Open
WASHINGTON, July 22 — Venus Williams enjoyed a winning return to tennis after more than a year away from the game as the 45-year-old American teamed up with compatriot Hailey Baptiste to win their round of 16 women's doubles tie at the Washington Open on Monday. The seven-times Grand Slam singles champion had not played a competitive match in 16 months, with her last appearance on the WTA Tour coming at the Miami Open in March last year. Williams and Baptiste beat Eugenie Bouchard and Clervie Ngounoue 6-3 6-1 to reach the quarter-finals in Washington, and the former world number one said if felt 'inspiring' to be back on court. 'It wasn't easy for us but we brought it together quickly as a team. I love this game and still hitting it big,' Williams told Sky Sports. Williams enjoyed playing with 23-year-old Baptiste so much she joked that she should have teamed up with her years ago instead of playing with her younger sister Serena, who she won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles with. 'I could see that we were going to be a good team. We just should have started playing earlier, years ago, right?' she said. 'I think Serena was just in the way.' — Reuters
CNA
14 hours ago
- Sport
- CNA
Venus Williams makes winning return after 16-month layoff
Venus Williams enjoyed a winning return to tennis after more than a year away from the game as the 45-year-old American teamed up with compatriot Hailey Baptiste to win their round of 16 women's doubles tie at the Washington Open on Monday. The seven-times Grand Slam singles champion had not played a competitive match in 16 months, with her last appearance on the WTA Tour coming at the Miami Open in March last year. Williams and Baptiste beat Eugenie Bouchard and Clervie Ngounoue 6-3 6-1 to reach the quarter-finals in Washington, and the former world number one said if felt "inspiring" to be back on court. "It wasn't easy for us but we brought it together quickly as a team. I love this game and still hitting it big," Williams told Sky Sports. Williams enjoyed playing with 23-year-old Baptiste so much she joked that she should have teamed up with her years ago instead of playing with her younger sister Serena, who she won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles with. "I could see that we were going to be a good team. We just should have started playing earlier, years ago, right?" she said. "I think Serena was just in the way."
Reuters
14 hours ago
- Sport
- Reuters
Venus Williams makes winning return after 16-month layoff
July 22 (Reuters) - Venus Williams enjoyed a winning return to tennis after more than a year away from the game as the 45-year-old American teamed up with compatriot Hailey Baptiste to win their round of 16 women's doubles tie at the Washington Open on Monday. The seven-times Grand Slam singles champion had not played a competitive match in 16 months, with her last appearance on the WTA Tour coming at the Miami Open in March last year. Williams and Baptiste beat Eugenie Bouchard and Clervie Ngounoue 6-3 6-1 to reach the quarter-finals in Washington, and the former world number one said if felt "inspiring" to be back on court. "It wasn't easy for us but we brought it together quickly as a team. I love this game and still hitting it big," Williams told Sky Sports. Williams enjoyed playing with 23-year-old Baptiste so much she joked that she should have teamed up with her years ago instead of playing with her younger sister Serena, who she won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles with. "I could see that we were going to be a good team. We just should have started playing earlier, years ago, right?" she said. "I think Serena was just in the way."
