Latest news with #WTA Tour
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
DC Open delight for tour veteran Venus Williams
Venus Williams has become the second-oldest woman to win a tour-level singles match in professional tennis, delivering some of her familiar big serves and groundstrokes at age 45 while beating Peyton Stearns — 22 years her junior — 6-3 6-4 at the DC Open. This was the first singles victory for Williams in nearly two years and the only older woman to win a match was Martina Navratilova at 47 in 2004. The former No.1-ranked Williams had not played singles in an official match anywhere since March 2024 in Miami, missing time while having surgery to remove uterine fibroids. She hadn't won in singles since August 2023 in Cincinnati. Until this week, she was listed by the WTA Tour as "inactive." "It is not easy," Williams said, "to (come back) after all that time and play the perfect match." She didn't come to play, she came to SLAY 🔥@Venuseswilliams | #MubadalaCitiDCOpen — wta (@WTA) July 23, 2025 But backed by a crowd that clearly was there to see, and support, her at the hardcourt tournament in the nation's capital, Williams showed glimpses of the talent she possesses and the skills she displayed while earning all of her grand slam titles: seven in singles, 14 in women's doubles — all alongside younger sister Serena — and two in mixed doubles. "I wanted to play a good match," she told the fans, then added a phrase that drew appreciative roars: "and win the match." The first cheer for Williams arrived when she walked out into the main stadium, a 7000-seat arena that's more than twice as large as where she was for her doubles victory a day earlier. Another came when she strode to the centre of the court for the formality of the coin toss. There also were moments where Williams looked as if it had been just as long as it actually has since she competed, including in the opening game, when she got broken to love. At the end, it took her a bit of extra effort to close things out. She failed to convert numerous match points but eventually powered a serve that world No.35 Stearns returned into the net. It's like she never left 😮💨@Venuseswilliams defeats Stearns 6-3, 6-4 to reach the second round in the United States capital.#MubadalaCitiDCOpen — wta (@WTA) July 23, 2025 Williams advances to a second-round match-up against fifth-seeded Pole Magdalena Frech while earlier on Tuesday, Emma Raducanu handed No.7 seed Marta Kostyuk a sixth consecutive loss, defeating her 7-6 (7-4) 6-4. This was the fifth tournament in a row where Kostyuk exited in the first round; she hasn't won a match since May 11 in Rome. The 46th-ranked Raducanu, who won the 2021 US Open, will face four-time major champion Naomi Osaka, a 6-2 7-5 winner against Yulia Putintseva, next. At the hardcourt WTA250 event in Prague meantime, Australia's Priscilla Hon was beaten 6-2 3-6 6-3 in the first round by Czech Barbora Palicova in a little over two hours.
Independent Singapore
a day ago
- 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!'
CNN
2 days ago
- 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.'
The Guardian
11-07-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Venus Williams, 45, accepts wildcard invitation to DC Open
Venus Williams accepted a wild-card invitation to play singles at this month's DC Open, which would be the seven-time grand slam champion's first tournament in more than a year. Williams, who turned 45 in June, is listed as 'inactive' on the WTA Tour's website. She hasn't competed in an official match since the Miami Open in 2024. 'There's something truly special about D.C.: the energy, the fans, the history,' Williams said in a statement released Friday by organizers of the hard-court tournament, which begins with qualifying next weekend. 'This city has always shown me so much love, and I can't wait to compete there again.' Williams also played in the nation's capital in 2022. 'She has inspired people around the world with her accomplishments on the court and her visionary impact off the court,' said Mark Ein, chairman of the Mubadala Citi DC Open. 'I know how much it means to our D.C. fans and community to be able to watch her compete in person this summer.' In February, the tournament in Indian Wells, California, announced that Williams would be making her return to the tour by playing there, then later backtracked and said it turned out she wouldn't. Williams' most recent grand slam appearances came in 2023, when she exited in the first round at Wimbledon – after slipping in the first set and hurting her right knee – and the US Open. Her five championships in singles at the All England Club came in 2000, 2001, 2005, 2007, 2008 and she won the 2000 and 2001 U.S. Open singles trophies, too. She also won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles alongside her younger sister, Serena, whose last tournament was the 2022 US Open, and a total of four Olympic gold medals. The older Williams said in 2011 that she had been diagnosed with Sjögren's syndrome, an energy-sapping auto-immune disease that can cause joint pain.
The Guardian
11-07-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Venus Williams, 45, accepts wildcard invitation to DC Open
Venus Williams accepted a wild-card invitation to play singles at this month's DC Open, which would be the seven-time grand slam champion's first tournament in more than a year. Williams, who turned 45 in June, is listed as 'inactive' on the WTA Tour's website. She hasn't competed in an official match since the Miami Open in 2024. 'There's something truly special about D.C.: the energy, the fans, the history,' Williams said in a statement released Friday by organizers of the hard-court tournament, which begins with qualifying next weekend. 'This city has always shown me so much love, and I can't wait to compete there again.' Williams also played in the nation's capital in 2022. 'She has inspired people around the world with her accomplishments on the court and her visionary impact off the court,' said Mark Ein, chairman of the Mubadala Citi DC Open. 'I know how much it means to our D.C. fans and community to be able to watch her compete in person this summer.' In February, the tournament in Indian Wells, California, announced that Williams would be making her return to the tour by playing there, then later backtracked and said it turned out she wouldn't. Williams' most recent grand slam appearances came in 2023, when she exited in the first round at Wimbledon – after slipping in the first set and hurting her right knee – and the US Open. Her five championships in singles at the All England Club came in 2000, 2001, 2005, 2007, 2008 and she won the 2000 and 2001 U.S. Open singles trophies, too. She also won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles alongside her younger sister, Serena, whose last tournament was the 2022 US Open, and a total of four Olympic gold medals. The older Williams said in 2011 that she had been diagnosed with Sjögren's syndrome, an energy-sapping auto-immune disease that can cause joint pain.
