In tennis, some days you paint the lines, other days the frame sings louder than the strings. After more than 30 years of battles and brilliance, Venus Williams knows this truth better than anyone. She returned to the tour with fire, winning both singles and doubles matches in a flawless start to her first tournament in 16 months. But under the Washington, D.C. lights at the Citi Open, her 45-year-old frame finally showed signs of wear, falling to Poland’s Magdalena Fręch. Still, Venus’ legacy remains untouchable; her ability to return, again and again, leaves even her opponents in awe. And yes, Fręch had something honest to say about the legend who never fades.
Just days after becoming the oldest player in 21 years to win a WTA singles match, Venus Williams stepped onto the court once more in Washington. The 45-year-old icon battled hard but ultimately fell 6-2, 6-2 to fifth-seeded Magdalena Fręch in the second round of the Mubadala Citi DC Open. Making her first tour appearance since March 2024, Venus created opportunities, five break points to be exact, but couldn’t convert.
A day earlier, she and Hailey Baptiste were edged out in a doubles heartbreaker by Taylor Townsend and Zhang Shuai. But now, while Fręch now marches into the quarterfinals to face Elena Rybakina, she paused to acknowledge something far bigger than a win, Venus Williams’ enduring legacy. A sentiment the entire tennis world silently echoes.
Right after her second-round win at the Citi Open, Magdalena Fręch stood courtside with Rennae Stubbs, her emotions still raw. When asked about Venus Williams’ impact on her early tennis journey, the Polish star began with heartfelt gratitude. “I mean, thank you for supporting me, even a few people. I think Polish people do,” she said. But then, with respect etched in every word, she spoke about the legend she had just defeated. “I know she’s a superstar, she’s like god here, so yeah it was very emotional for me to handle this match, and yeah it’s really amazing. I can’t imagine myself in 17 years on the court, no chance,” Fręch admitted.
Magdalena Frech after beating Venus Williams in Washington
“She’s a superstar. It was very emotional for me to handle this match. It’s really amazing. I can’t imagine myself on the court in 17 years. No chance.”
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) July 25, 2025
And honestly, Fręch isn’t wrong. She’s 27 years old right now. Seventeen more years on tour would mean playing at 44, an almost unimaginable ask for most WTA players.
But Venus Williams isn’t “most players.” At 45, she just became the oldest woman to win a WTA-level match in over two decades. The last to do so? None other than Martina Navratilova, who at 47 stormed past Catalina Castaño at Wimbledon 2004 and nearly took down Gisela Dulko in the next round.
Venus was already the oldest to play a WTA match since Japan’s Kimiko Date stepped on court at Tokyo in 2017 at age 46. And if you look at the current tour, there are only a handful of players still swinging in singles past 35. Germany’s Tatjana Maria, now 37, continues to fight with grit. And Laura Siegemund, also 37, gave Aryna Sabalenka a scare at Wimbledon this year, proving age may slow the legs, but never the heart.
So when Fręch marveled at Venus’ unmatched longevity, it wasn’t just admiration, it was a realization of what’s nearly impossible. And as for Venus, even after bowing out in D.C., she stood tall, graceful in defeat, proud of the fight, and never done writing her story.
Venus Williams opens up after the loss at the Citi Open
Venus Williams lit up the Citi Open with her presence and power, and on Thursday night, she began strong once again. But after holding her own through the first four games, momentum slipped. A forehand into the net followed by a misfired approach shot handed Magdalena Fręch the first break. From there, the Pole stayed solid, playing high-margin tennis while Venus, unable to find her rhythm, lost the next four games. Her serve faltered, her legs grew heavy, and Fręch simply let Williams’ errors pile up.
Yet despite the defeat, this week felt like a triumph for the 45-year-old icon. Venus stormed through her opening round with ease, reminding everyone why she’s a seven-time Grand Slam champion. She still has thunder in her racket, just a bit less lightning in her legs. On Thursday, every time Fręch forced her to move wide, the struggle was visible. “I feel like I ran out of gas today, unfortunately,” Venus admitted. “I tried to find the energy, and I didn’t find it.”
Still, the fire in her words spoke louder than the scoreline. “There are so many learnings from here. I know exactly what I need to work on, where I can improve,” she said, already looking ahead. She’s accepted a wild card into next month’s Cincinnati Open, ready for one more run. “The good news is I’m always in control of the point. The important part is to put the ball in.”
The last time Venus stitched together back-to-back wins was five years ago at that very Cincinnati Open in 2019. There, she reached the quarterfinals before falling to Madison Keys.
Now, with the US Open fast approaching, the question arises: can Venus find one last spark, one more deep run, and write another chapter under the New York lights? Don’t count her out. Not yet.
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