Venus Williams Returns to Tennis at the DC Open
The legendary 45-year-old American tennis player Venus Williams is set to return to action at the DC Open in Washington (WTA 500) next week. This tournament will mark her comeback after a 16-month absence. The tournament draw has determined that Williams will face Payton Stearns in the first round. Williams’ last tournament participation was in the first round of the Miami tournament in 2024, where she lost to Russian Diana Schnaider. For her participation in the DC Open, she received a special invitation. The seven-time ‘Grand Slam’ champion was listed as “inactive” in the WTA ranking until this announcement.Possible Matchups
In case of a victory in her debut, Williams could face the Polish player Magdalena Frech or a player from the qualifying rounds.
Williams, who already competed in this tournament in 2022, expressed his enthusiasm. “This city has always shown me a lot of affection and I can’t wait to compete there again,” he added. The Washington tournament, classified as a 500 category event, will not feature the participation of the current champion, the Spaniard Paula Badosa, due to a psoas injury. American Jessica Pegula will be the top seed in the women’s competition. In the ATP circuit, the main favorite is Taylor Fritz (No. 4). It should be noted that the tournament will not feature the presence of Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz or Novak Djokovic.There’s something really special about Washington: the energy, the fans, the history.
Venus Williams
