45-year-old Venus Williams made a remarkable comeback at the Washington Open, returning to competition after a 16-month hiatus. On Monday, July 21, Williams teamed up with fellow American Hailey Baptiste to defeat Eugenie Bouchard and Clervie Ngounoue 6-3, 6-1 in the women’s doubles Round of 16.
Entering the tournament as a wildcard, Williams last secured a win at the Cincinnati Open in August 2023 and had not competed since the Miami Open in March 2024.
“It was inspiring to be out here. I love this game and still hitting it big,” Venus told Sky Sports.
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After the match, Venus joked that she wished she could have teamed up with her sister Serena instead of Baptiste, who is ranked No. 50 in the world.
“I think from the first point I could see that we were going to be a good team. We just should have started playing earlier, years ago, right? I think Serena was just in the way,” Venus added.
Venus, making her return to doubles after three years, has previously won 14 Grand Slam titles in women’s doubles alongside her sister Serena, with the Williams sisters dominating the sport for many years.
On Tuesday, July 22, Venus will face fellow American Peyton Stearns in the opening round of the women’s singles.
She’s also set to compete in the upcoming edition of the US Open. On Monday, the U.S. Tennis Association (USTA) released the list of 25 teams entered in the reimagined 2025 US Open mixed doubles championship, scheduled for August 19-20, just before the main singles tournament begins.
Amongst the entrants, Venus has teamed up with fellow American Reilly Opelka, with the pair aiming to make the final cut for the mixed doubles’ event.
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