Venus Williams returns the ball in opposition to Peyton Stearns throughout a match on the Citi Open tennis event Tuesday, July 22, 2025, in Washington.
| Picture Credit score: AP
Venus Williams stated she nonetheless has hearth in her stomach after the 45-year-old grew to become the oldest participant to win a WTA singles match since 2004 along with her 6-3 6-4 victory over Peyton Stearns on the Washington Open on Tuesday (July 22, 2025).
Having returned to aggressive motion on Monday within the girls’s doubles following a 16-month absence from the sport, Williams defeated world quantity 35 Stearns to say her first singles win since 2023 in Cincinnati.
The seven-time Grand Slam singles champion is the oldest WTA singles match-winner since a 47-year-old Martina Navratilova received at Wimbledon in 2004.
“I feel I simply attacked the entire time. It is simply looking for the precise steadiness between going to laborious and never sufficient,” Williams stated after the opening-round win.
“It is the identical as a result of that is what I do, however on the similar time, on the time it was crucial for me to do it. Now I haven’t got to do that, however I’ve the identical hearth and the identical need to win.
“In some methods, I am nonetheless getting again into that. If you do it on a regular basis, the whole lot is pure. Not as pure feeling now, however I hope I can get again to that.”
Williams will subsequent face Polish fifth seed Magdalena Frech.
“I feel it was an enormous win for me at this time. Like I stated, it is not simple. It will not be simple. It is not simple for anybody out right here,” Williams stated.
“So I do know I am going to should struggle for each match, however I am up for that.”
Emma Raducanu was among the many large names that progressed after the 2021 U.S. Open champion beat Ukrainian seventh seed Marta Kostyuk 7-6(4) 6-4 in her opener. The 22-year-old Briton will subsequent face four-times Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka.
“I feel it is an important match for lots of spectators, which is nice to be part of,” Raducanu advised reporters. “She’s been enjoying actually good tennis this yr. Yeah, will probably be an important take a look at of my very own sport and myself.”
Printed – July 23, 2025 10:50 am IST
