Venus Williams Returns to Competition at the DC Open
Legendary tennis player Venus Williams has received a “wild-card” invitation to participate in the DC Open this month. This tournament will mark her return to the singles circuit after more than a year of absence. Williams, who turned 45 in June, is listed as “inactive” on the WTA website. Her last participation in an official match was at the Miami Open in 2024.Williams also participated in the tournament in the capital in 2022.There’s something truly special about D.C.: the energy, the fans, the history. This city has always shown me a lot of love, and I’m eager to compete there again.
Venus Williams
In February, the tournament in Indian Wells, California, announced that Williams would return to the circuit playing there, but then retracted and said that she ultimately would not. The most recent appearances of Williams in a Grand Slam were in 2023, where she was eliminated in the first round of Wimbledon, after suffering a fall and injuring her right knee, and at the US Open. Among her achievements, Williams has won five singles titles at the All England Club (2000, 2001, 2005, 2007, 2008) and the US Open singles trophies in 2000 and 2001. In addition, she has won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles alongside her younger sister, Serena, and a total of four Olympic gold medals. In 2011, Williams revealed that she had been diagnosed with Sjögren’s syndrome, an autoimmune disease that can cause fatigue and joint pain.She has inspired people around the world with her achievements on the court and her visionary impact off it. I know how much it means to our fans and the D.C. community to be able to see her compete in person this summer.
Mark Ein, Chairman of the Mubadala Citi DC Open
