Remember the last time Venus Williams graced the court? It was the 2024 Miami Open, where she fell to Diana Shnaider in the opening round. Since then, the retirement whispers grew louder, even as she held a mic, not a racquet, at Roland Garros. But now, as the American hard-court swing ignites, the 45-year-old icon is ready to step back into the fire. The Citi DC Open marks her return, and fate has scripted a thrilling first-round clash against a 23-year-old American trailblazer, setting the stage for a generational showdown packed with grit, legacy, and unshakable fire.
Venus Williams is ready to light up the court once again, as she gears up for her first WTA match since March 2024. The 45-year-old legend will face fellow American Peyton Stearns in a high-voltage first-round clash at the Mubadala Citi DC Open this week. For Stearns, it’s a maiden showdown against the seven-time Grand Slam champion. The 23-year-old has been blazing her own path, cracking a career-high ranking of No. 28 earlier this season and storming into her first WTA 1000 semifinal on clay at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia.
Williams, who accepted a wild card into the WTA 500 event, hasn’t played an official match since her appearance at the 2024 Miami Open. Her last tour-level win came nearly a year ago in Cincinnati, where she took down then-world No. 16 Veronika Kudermetova. Now, she returns to a city where she holds deep tennis roots and unfinished business.
Though she’s only played the Citi Open once, falling in the 2022 first round, Williams is no stranger to D.C. A cornerstone of the Washington Kastles, she was their Marquee Player six times, leading the team to five World TeamTennis titles.
(This is a developing story…)
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