In a sport where youth has dominated, Venus Williams turned back the clock with a display of vintage power and poise, defeating Peyton Stearns 6-3, 6-4 at the DC Open on a beautiful Tuesday night.
At 45, Williams became the 2nd-oldest woman to win a tour-level singles match in professional tennis, a feat only surpassed by Martina Navratilova’s victory at 47 in 2004. The win, her 1st in singles since August 2023 in Cincinnati, was a slap in the face for all who thought the Wildcard recipient was purely there for an exhibition match.
The hard courts of Washington, D.C., hummed with anticipation as Williams stepped into the 7,000-seat main stadium, greeted by a chorus of cheers that seemed to increase with every step. It had been nearly 2 years since her last singles victory, and her absence from the singles scene since March 2024 in Miami—where she underwent surgery to remove uterine fibroids—had left her listed as “inactive” and unranked by the WTA Tour.
Yet, the former world No. 1 showed no signs of rust, unleashing the blistering serves and commanding groundstrokes that have defined her 3-decade long career, which includes 7 Grand Slam singles titles, 14 in women’s doubles alongside sister Serena, and 2 in mixed doubles.
“It is not easy to [come back] after all that time and play the perfect match,” Williams admitted post-match, her words carrying the weight of someone who has fought through physical and personal challenges to return to the court.
Her motivation? A blend of competitive fire and practical necessity. “I had to come back for the insurance because they informed earlier this year I’m on COBRA,” she said courtside with a wry smile. “So I was like, ‘I’ve got to get my benefits,’ [and] started training. You guys know what it’s like, and let me tell you, I’m always at the doctor so I need this insurance.”
Williams faced a formidable opponent in Stearns, a 23-year-old ranked 35th, who brought NCAA pedigree from the University of Texas. The 22-year age gap was stark, but Williams erased it with her trademark intensity.
In the 2nd game, she pounced, smacking a return winner and delivering a series of punishing responses to break Stearns’ serve. In the next game Venus showed she can still cover the court just fine, as she sprinted to chase down a drop shot and flicked a winner past her younger opponent. By the time she led 4-2, the crowd was roaring, sensing a history unfolding in front of them.
Her serve, a weapon that has long defined her game, was in full force. She slammed down 9 aces, many clocking over 177 kilometers per hour (110 mph), including a 112 mph bullet in the final game that Stearns could only net.
The crowd erupted as Williams jogged to the net for the handshake, her wide smile breaking through before she spun into her signature post-win pirouette-and-wave. “I wanted to play a good match,” she told the fans, pausing for effect before adding, “and win the match.” The appreciative roars said it all.
It wasn’t flawless. The opening game saw Williams broken at love—forehand wide, forehand into the net, forehand long, backhand long—a reminder of the time away. Closing out the match proved tricky, too, as she struggled to convert multiple match points. But when it mattered most, Williams found her rhythm, her experience shining through against a tenacious Stearns.
The victory wasn’t her only triumph this week. Williams, alongside American Hailey Baptiste, also won in doubles, setting up a clash with Australian Open champions Taylor Townsend and Zhang Shuai.
In singles, she now faces a tougher test in the 2nd Rd. against No. 5 seed Magdalena Frech, a 27-year-old from Poland. With her fiancé cheering from the stands and a crowd firmly in her corner, Williams is proving that age is just a number….and maybe that Wildcard was a positive thing after all…
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