Venus Williams has made a triumphant return to professional tennis, winning her first match after a 16-month hiatus due to health issues.
The 45-year-old tennis icon partnered with fellow American Hailey Baptiste to defeat Canada’s Eugenie Bouchard and 18-year-old Clervie Ngounoue 6-3, 6-1 in the opening round of the DC Open.
This marked Williams’ first competitive appearance since undergoing surgery last year. Reflecting on her comeback, she admitted that returning through doubles—an event she’s less familiar with—was challenging.
“Hailey asked me how it felt afterward. Honestly, it’s probably harder coming back through doubles because it’s not my usual game,” Williams said. “But having her alongside me helped a lot. She’s been playing regularly and performing well, and that gave us momentum.”
Williams described this year as a complete turnaround from last year when she was focused solely on recovery. “It’s night and day compared to last year,” she said. “Back then I wasn’t even thinking about tennis — I just wanted to heal and be healthy.”
Her singles comeback is scheduled for Tuesday night, where she will face fellow American Peyton Stearns on the main court.
Around 3,000 fans witnessed her doubles return, including NBA superstar and Washington native Kevin Durant. Williams was excited to see the basketball star in the crowd. “I was like, ‘Let me show KD what I’ve got,’” she joked. “But they hit every ball to Hailey!”
Baptiste shared her enthusiasm as well: “It’s so cool that he came out to support us,” she said, mentioning how chants of “K-D” energized the crowd.
For Williams, simply stepping back on the court was a personal victory. “You can play all the matches in the world, but if your health is gone, everything else fades into the background,” she said. “That puts things in perspective — it made coming back easier, and now I’m playing with more freedom.”
She also highlighted the joy of sharing such moments with fans. “You train for months for this, and you never know if you’ll win until the final point. It’s special to share that emotion with the fans.”
Her opponent, Eugenie Bouchard—who plans to retire next week in Canada—expressed appreciation for facing Williams again. “It’s always special to play Venus,” Bouchard said. “She’s 14 years older than me and still out here competing. I have nothing but respect for her — she’s a legend.”
