WASHINGTON — Venus Williams wished to ship a message — to herself and to others — about getting back from a protracted layoff, about competing in a sport at age 45, about by no means giving up. Sure, there was one thing particular about simply being again on a tennis courtroom Tuesday evening.
There additionally was this: She actually, actually wished to win.
And Williams did simply that, turning into the second-oldest girl to win a tour-level singles match in skilled tennis, delivering a few of her acquainted huge serves and groundstrokes at age 45 whereas beating Peyton Stearns — 22 years her junior — by a 6-3, 6-4 rating on the DC Open.
“Every week that I used to be coaching, I used to be, like, ‘Oh, my God, I don't know if I'm ok but.' After which there can be weeks the place I'd leap ahead. And there can be two weeks the place I used to be, like, ‘Oh, God, it's not occurring.' Even the week main up, (I assumed), ‘Oh, my gosh, I would like to enhance a lot extra.' So it's all a head sport,” Williams stated after her first singles match in additional than a 12 months and first singles victory in practically two.
Navratilova is the one girl older than Williams to win a singles match
The one older girl to win a tour-level singles match was Martina Navratilova, whose final triumph got here at 47 in 2004.
The previous No. 1-ranked Williams had not performed singles in an official match since March 2024 in Miami, lacking time whereas having surgical procedure to take away uterine fibroids.
She hadn't gained in singles since August 2023 in Cincinnati. Till this week, she was listed by the WTA Tour as “inactive.”
“I'm simply continually praying for good well being, in order that means I might have a chance to play with good well being,” Williams stated. “A variety of this for me is with the ability to come again and attempt to play at a stage (and) to play wholesome.”
Venus Williams gained 4 Grand Slam titles earlier than Peyton Stearns was born
Backed by a crowd that clearly was there to see, and help, her on the hard-court match within the nation's capital, Williams confirmed glimpses of the expertise she possesses and the talents she displayed whereas incomes all of her Grand Slam titles: seven in singles, 14 in ladies's doubles — all alongside youthful sister Serena — and two in blended doubles.
“I wished to play a very good match,” Williams instructed the followers, then added a phrase that drew appreciative roars: “and win the match.”
In Tuesday's second sport, Williams smacked a return winner to get issues began, then delivered a few different huge responses to interrupt Stearns, a 23-year-old who gained singles and workforce NCAA titles on the College of Texas and is at present ranked thirty fifth.
Within the subsequent sport, Williams sprinted ahead to achieve a drop shot and replied with a forehand winner.
The primary refrain of cheers arrived when Williams walked out into the principle stadium on the DC Open, a 7,000-seat area that's greater than twice as giant as the place she was for her doubles victory a day earlier. One other got here when she strode from the sideline to the middle of the courtroom for the coin toss. The noise reached a crescendo when Williams started hitting aces — at 110 mph and quicker — the best way she used to.
Take into accout: Williams gained 4 Grand Slam trophies earlier than Stearns was born.
Venus Williams hit huge serves and groundstrokes similar to she at all times did.
“She performed some ball tonight,” Stearns stated. “She was shifting rather well, which I wasn't anticipating an excessive amount of, actually. Her serves had been simply on fireplace.”
There additionally had been moments the place Williams — whose fiance was within the stands — appeared as if it had been simply so long as it really has since she competed, together with within the opening sport, when she obtained damaged at love this fashion: forehand large, forehand into the web, forehand lengthy, backhand lengthy.
On the finish, it took Williams a bit of additional effort to shut issues out.
She stored holding match factors and stored failing to transform them.
However finally, on her sixth likelihood, Williams powered in a 112 mph serve that Stearns returned into the web.
That was it: Williams smiled large as might be, raised a fist and jogged to the web to shake fingers, then carried out her customary post-win pirouette-and-wave.
“It's not simple. It gained't be simple. It's not simple for anybody out right here,” stated Williams, who subsequent faces No. 5 seed Magdalena Frech, who's 27. “So I do know I'll should battle for each match. However I'm up for that.”
