Photo: Scott Taetsch / Getty Images Sport / Getty Images
Tennis star Venus Williams secured a historic victory at the DC Open.
On Tuesday (July 22), Williams, 45, defeated 23-year-old Peyton Stearns 6-3, 6-4, to advance to the round of 16 of the DC Open.
The victory made Williams the oldest player to win a singles match on the WTA Tour since 2004, when Martina Navratilova won in the first round of Wimbledon at age 47, per CNN. Williams' historic achievement came just one day after she recorded a doubles win with Hailey Baptiste at the DC Open on Monday (July 21).
“You know, it’s the first step, and the first match is always extremely difficult,” Williams said after Tuesday's match. “It’s hard to describe how difficult it is to play a first match after so much time off.
“So going into the match, I know I have the ability to win, but it’s all about actually winning. So this is the best result, to play a good match and win."
“I’m here with my friends, family, people I love, and the fans too, who I love and they love me, so this has been just a beautiful night," she said.
Tuesday also marked Williams' first singles match on tour since March 2024, when she was defeated by Diana Shnaider in the opening round of the Miami Open. Monday was Williams' first doubles match in nearly three years. The tennis star had been listed as "inactive" on the WTA Tour until this week.
Williams on Tuesday also spoke about her recent engagement to Italian actor Andrea Preti, who watched her play for the first time.
“My fiancé is here and he really encouraged me to keep playing,” Williams said. “There were so many times where I just wanted to coast and kind of chill."
“Do you know how hard it is to play tennis? You guys don’t know how much work goes into this, like it’s 9 to 5 except you’re running the whole time. Lifting weights and just like dying and then you repeat it the next day," she continued.
“So he encouraged me to get through this, and it’s wonderful to be here. He’s never seen me play.”
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