Tennis legend Venus Williams made a winning comeback to the WTA Tour after a 16-month absence, advancing to the quarterfinals of the women’s doubles at the 2025 DC Open alongside fellow American Hailey Baptiste.
The pair cruised past Clervie Ngounoue and retiring star Eugenie Bouchard with a commanding 6-3, 6-1 victory in the round of 16.
This marks Williams’ first win on the WTA Tour since August 2023, when she famously defeated Veronika Kudermetova at the Cincinnati Open.
“It’s Just Nice to Be Able to Play Again” – Venus
The 45-year-old seven-time Grand Slam champion shared an emotional moment with the crowd after the win, treating fans to her signature twirl and a wide smile.
“It’s just nice to be able to play,” Venus said post-match. “Where I am at this year is so much different from where I was last year. It’s night and day — being here and preparing for a tournament, versus preparing for surgery.”
Health Struggles Behind the Scenes
Earlier this month, Venus revealed in an NBC interview that she had undergone surgery to remove fibroids from her uterus, a condition that had silently plagued her career and well-being.
“At the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter if your health is not there,” she said. “That definitely put everything in perspective and maybe made it easier to decide to come back and play — maybe even freer.”
A Historic Comeback
This was Williams’ first official match since losing in the opening round of the Miami Open in March 2024.
It was also her first doubles appearance in nearly three years. Despite currently holding no official WTA singles or doubles ranking, Venus’ return has sparked excitement across the tennis world.
Venus boasts an illustrious career with seven Grand Slam singles titles, 14 doubles titles alongside her sister Serena Williams, and two mixed doubles titles, all won in 1998.
As fans celebrate her latest comeback, one thing is clear — Venus Williams is not done writing tennis history just yet.
