45 Year Old Venus Williams Becomes Oldest To Win Singles

At 45 years old, Venus Williams achieved a significant milestone in professional tennis on Tuesday night at the DC Open, becoming the second-oldest woman to secure a tour-level singles match victory. Demonstrating her characteristic powerful serves and groundstrokes, Williams defeated Peyton Stearns, 22 years her junior, with a score of 6-3, 6-4.

This triumph marked Williams’ first singles victory in nearly two years. The only woman older to win a match at this level was Martina Navratilova, who accomplished the feat at age 47 in 2004.

The former world No. 1 had not participated in an official singles match since March 2024 in Miami, having undergone surgery to address uterine fibroids. Her last singles win prior to this week was recorded in August 2023 in Cincinnati. Until recently, she was listed by the WTA Tour as “inactive.”

“It is not easy,” Williams said, “to (come back) after all that time and play the perfect match.”

Nevertheless, with strong support from the audience at the hard-court tournament in the nation’s capital, Williams exhibited glimpses of the formidable talent and skill that defined her career, which includes seven Grand Slam singles titles, 14 Grand Slam women’s doubles titles (all alongside her younger sister Serena), and two Grand Slam mixed doubles titles.

“I wanted to play a good match,” she informed the fans, subsequently adding a remark that elicited appreciative roars: “and win the match.”

Early in the match, Williams immediately asserted her presence. In the second game, she delivered a return winner, followed by powerful responses to break Stearns, a 23-year-old former NCAA singles and team champion from the University of Texas, currently ranked 35th. In the subsequent game, Williams moved swiftly forward to retrieve a drop shot, converting it into a winner. This sequence quickly led to a 4-2 lead, positioning her to close out the first set.

The atmosphere in the main stadium at the DC Open, a 7,000-seat arena more than twice the size of where she played her doubles match the previous day, was electric with cheers. The first wave of applause greeted Williams upon her entrance, followed by another surge of sound as she approached the net for the coin toss. The crowd’s enthusiasm reached a crescendo when Williams began serving aces, clocked at speeds exceeding 110 mph, reminiscent of her peak performance years.

Despite her impressive display, there were moments that revealed the extensive duration of her absence from competitive play. In the opening game, for instance, Williams was broken at love following a series of errors: a forehand wide, a forehand into the net, a forehand long, and a backhand long. Williams noted that her fiancé was in attendance, observing the match.

The conclusion of the match required additional effort from Williams. She held multiple match points but struggled to convert them. However, on her sixth opportunity, Williams delivered a potent 112 mph serve that Stearns returned into the net, sealing the victory. Williams responded with a wide smile, a raised fist, and jogged to the net for the customary handshake, concluding with her signature post-win pirouette and wave.

45 Year Old Venus Williams Becomes Oldest Woman To Win Singles Match  was originally published on praisedc.com