July 23, 2025
She’s the second-oldest player to do it after 47-year-old Martina Navratilova won a Wimbledon match in 2004
Proving that sometimes age is just a number, legendary tennis superstar Venus Williams turned back the hands of time when she became the oldest player to win a singles match on the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA ) Tour since Martina Navratilova won a Wimbledon match in 2004.
According to CNN, Williams, who is 45, won her match against Peyton Stearns 6-3, 6-4 to advance to the round of 16 at the DC Open. She becomes the second-oldest tennis player to win a match behind Navratilova, who was 47 when she won a Wimbledon match over 20 years ago. The win comes after she won in doubles competition with Hailey Baptiste on July 21.
The last time Williams played on a tennis court was in March of last year, when she lost an opening-round match against Diana Shnaider at the Miami Open. Her last victory before this, as a singles player, was a victory in 2023 against Veronika Kudermetova in the opening round of the Cincinnati Open.
“There are no limits for excellence,” Williams said. “It’s all about what’s in your head and how much you’re able to put into it. If you put in the work mentally, physically, and emotionally, then you can have the result.”
She will play two more times this week when she hits the court again July 23 with Baptiste when they face Taylor Townsend and China’s Zhang Shuai. Her next singles match takes place July 24 when she takes on No. 24-ranked Magdalena Fręch.
USA Today reported that the tennis player is back in action because she stated she needs health insurance.
“I had to come back because they informed me earlier this year I’m on COBRA,” she said. “So I was like, ‘I gotta get my benefits!’ You guys know what it’s like. I’m always at the doctor, so I need this insurance.”
People also reported that Williams is now an engaged woman. She stated that her fiancé encouraged her to keep playing.
“My fiancé is here and he really encouraged me to keep playing,” Williams said. The man she will marry is a 37-year-old model/actor, Andrea Preti.
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