Venus Williams celebrates her comeback win at the DC Open after nearly two years off the court. Image: Nick Wass/AP.
(The Post News)– Tennis icon Venus Williams proved she’s still got it, winning her first singles match in over 700 days at the DC Open on Tuesday. The 45-year-old, who hadn’t competed since March last year, beat fellow American Peyton Stearns in straight sets (6-3, 6-4) in just under 100 minutes.
It was a major milestone for Venus, who now boasts 819 career singles wins. After the match, she admitted returning after such a long break wasn’t easy and said she had to consciously slow herself down to stay focused during the game. She praised Stearns’ performance and said winning after dealing with injuries made the moment even more special.
Venus made history too, becoming the oldest woman to win a WTA match since tennis great Martina Navratilova did it at 47 in 2004. She thanked the crowd for their energy, saying the match felt like a shared emotional ride. Venus now faces Poland’s Magdalena Frech in the second round.
Elsewhere, Naomi Osaka beat Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva and will now face Britain’s Emma Raducanu, while Cameron Norrie upset world No. 7 Lorenzo Musetti, marking his first win over a top-10 player in over two years.
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