Venus Williams Returns to WTA Tour With Victory at Mubadala Citi DC Open

Venus Williams introduced her skilled tennis comeback emphatically, reaching the ladies’s doubles quarterfinals of the DC Open following an amazing 6-3, 6-1 victory with Hailey Baptiste.

The all-American duo defeated Clervie Ngounoue and retiring Eugenie Bouchard in spherical of 16, giving Williams her first victory on the WTA Tour since August 2023.

A Healthier and Freer Venus Williams

According to WTA Tennis, the 45-year-old tennis participant earned a thunderous ovation from a full home and took her signature twirl after closing out the match, a second that captured her triumphant return after over a 12 months off from aggressive tennis.

“It’s just nice to be able to play. Where I am at this year is so much different where I was at last year. It’s night and day, being able to be here and prepare for the tournament as opposed to preparing for surgery a year ago,” Williams mentioned in a post-interview, per AP.

Williams advised NBC earlier this month that she had surgical procedure to take away uterine fibroids, a situation she mentioned had impacted each her profession and high quality of life for years.

New Doubles Duo Finds Chemistry

It was Williams’ first official match since a first-round singles loss to Diana Shnaider on the 2024 Miami Open. Her final doubles look dates again almost three years. Despite the lengthy break, she and Baptiste confirmed sturdy chemistry from the outset.

From the beginning, Williams mentioned that she would do properly with Baptiste. She joked that they need to have began enjoying years in the past to ascertain a extra stable partnership.

The 23-year-old Baptiste grew up watching the Williams sisters. She was excited to be on the courtroom alongside a legend. Their highly effective baseline rallies and controlling play on the internet have been an excessive amount of for his or her opponents to deal with.

Wild Card Entry and Singles Comeback

Currently ranked exterior in singles and doubles, Williams was given wild playing cards for each occasions on the DC Open. She defeated fellow American Peyton Stearns within the first spherical on Tuesday, July 22.