Washington D.C., July 2025 – Tennis legend Venus Williams is officially back. After a 16-month break due to a serious health scare, the seven-time Grand Slam singles champion will compete at the DC Open 2025. She enters the tournament on a wildcard.
The 45-year-old American hasn’t played since a first-round loss in Miami last year. Now, with renewed motivation and inspiration from a recent trip to Wimbledon, Williams returns to her favorite surface—hard court—with a hopeful mindset.
“I think I know what I want to do, but I don’t always want to talk about it,” Williams said.
“I’m just here for now. And who knows? Maybe there is more. I hold my cards close, but at the moment, I’m focused just on this.”
Venus Williams vs Peyton Stearns: First Round Showdown
Williams will open against Peyton Stearns, a 23-year-old American ranked No. 34 in the world. Stearns won her maiden WTA title last year on clay at Rabat, and will be a challenging opponent. “My personal goal is to have fun I think right now and enjoy the moment, not put too much pressure on myself,” Venus Williams said.
“I don’t know if I define success at this moment in any sort of way other than believing in myself and sticking to my process. That’s not easy to do, especially after a layoff. So those are my goals.”
Overcoming Health Battles and Finding Joy Again
Williams opened up about her health scare in 2024, which pushed tennis to the background. “Yeah, my health journey was very scary. You know, this time a year ago I was preparing to go to surgery,” she said.
“There was no way for me to play tennis or play the US Open… I was just trying to get healthy.”
Now, her focus is simply on appreciating the chance to compete again. “In this last year, I have been through a lot physically, so to come back and be able to play and hopefully enjoy myself is a great opportunity.”
Wimbledon Sparked the Comeback
Williams credits her recent visit to Wimbledon for reigniting her desire to return. “I had been hitting the ball and of course I love the game and the hard courts. It’s my favorite surface, what I feel comfortable on. so all those different factors,” Williams said of her choice to play in Washington.
“When I went to Wimbledon this year, I was there for a day and it was so beautiful and exciting. I remembered all the times that I had, and of course the adrenaline, all those things.
I think just the pure fun of playing the game, the fun of the challenge, overcoming. Those things are very exciting.”
Venus Still Believes in Her Power Game
Despite not playing a full WTA tour since 2019, Williams still trusts her powerful playing style. That year, she won her last WTA title at the Taiwan Open. “I definitely feel I’ll play well,” Williams said.
“I’m still the same player. I’m a big hitter. I hit big. This is my brand.
So it’s about hitting big and actually putting it in. So this will be my effort. Put it in the court. That’s my main goal.”
A Champion Among Champions
Venus Williams brings elite experience to the DC Open. She owns five Wimbledon titles, two US Open trophies, and an Olympic gold medal from Sydney 2000.
Remarkably, her seven Grand Slam singles titles equal the combined total of all other women in the DC field. That includes four-time major winner Naomi Osaka.
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