Venus Williams returns to tennis at the DC Open after a 16-month hiatus
Venus Williams returns to tennis at the DC Open after a 16-month hiatus
Venus Williams walked into her news conference Sunday on the eve of the DC Open with a laugh and said simply, “Long time no see.”
A long time indeed. It has been 16 months since the former world No. 1’s last match. The DC Open unexpectedly announced in a news release this month that Williams, 45, would make a return to the court this week at Rock Creek Tennis Center. Williams, who on Sunday was still listed on the WTA website as “inactive,” received a wild-card entry to the main draw in singles. She is slated to face fellow American Peyton Stearns in the first round.
“I think it’s a surprise for the fans and a surprise in general as I hold my cards tight,” Williams said.
Williams, who last played at the 2024 Miami Open, had been announced to play in March at Indian Wells, also as a wild-card entry. But Williams said in February that she did not know about the entry until after it had been announced and turned it down because of previous commitments.
She joined TNT as a commentator for this year’s French Open and later addressed retirement rumors by saying she was “open” to returning to the court “when the time feels right.”
As it turns out, the time felt right in Washington.
Venus Williams got some warm-ups in at Rock Creek Tennis Center on the eve of her return to tennis. (Jessie Alcheh/DC Open)
Williams said tournament chair Mark Ein jokes with her every year that she can have a wild-card entry anytime she wants. Williams, who played eight seasons with the Washington Kastles of now-defunct World Team Tennis, hasn’t participated in the Washington-based tournament since 2022.
Williams said she has spent much of her time away from tennis trying to get healthy. In an interview with Self Magazine this month, she opened up about playing for years with uterine fibroids, noncancerous growths on her uterus that caused her immense pain.
She had the fibroids surgically removed in July 2024.
“My health journey was very scary,” Williams said Sunday. “You know, this time a year ago I was preparing to go to surgery. There was no way for me to play tennis or play the U.S. Open, or those things weren’t even on my mind. I was just trying to get healthy.”
Williams said she didn’t really miss playing tennis during her recovery. She had plenty to keep her occupied over the 16-month break.
Venus Williams met the media on the day before her first-round match at the DC Open. (Nick Wass/AP)
Williams just wants to have fun in D.C. and said she knows she still can play well. But she hasn’t won a match since August 2023 and has just seven wins since the beginning of 2020. Her long, storied career has been frequently interrupted in recent years by injuries.
Williams may play more this year. She didn’t reveal her next steps but has an idea what they will be.
“I’m just here for now, and who knows?” Williams said. “Maybe there’s more. Like I said, I hold my cards close, but at the moment, I’m focused just on this. I haven’t played in a year. There is no doubt I can play tennis, but obviously coming back to play matches, it takes time to get in the swing of things.”
