Tennis great Venus Williams wins DC Open match for first singles victory since 2023

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Venus Williams was all smiles after her first-round victory at the D.C. Open on Tuesday. 

The 45-year-old tennis star made an unexpected return to the tennis court this week, 16 months after her last professional competition. With a dominant win over American Peyton Stearns, she became the oldest woman since Martina Navratilova to win a singles match. 

Venus Williams hits a forehand against Peyton Stearns in a women's singles match at the Mubadala Citi D.C. Open at Rock Creek Park Tennis Center on July 22, 2025. (Geoff Burke-Imagn Images)

Navratilova did it in 2004 at the age of 47. 

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"It is not easy to come off after all that time and play the perfect match and all the players in the WTA are playing amazing – Peyton played so well. I felt like I was trying to slow myself down – we were going faster and faster and faster," Williams said after the 6-3, 6-4 victory.

"It’s just about putting it all together. You can still play a good match and lose the match. I wanted to play a good match and win the match. It’s so rewarding to come back after layoff and injuries – and you know, I didn’t have to come back to play as well." 

Venus Williams wipes her face between points against Peyton Stearns at the D.C. Open on July 22, 2025. (Geoff Burke-Imagn Images)

TENNIS GREAT VENUS WILLIAMS ACCEPTS DC OPEN WILD CARD INVITATION FOR FIRST TOURNAMENT IN OVER A YEAR

Williams entered the D.C. Open with a wild card invitation. She opened the tournament with a doubles victory on Monday and followed the win with another dominant performance on Tuesday. 

Williams' last official singles match was at the