By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Sunday July 20, 2025
Venus Williams, 45, has numerous causes to maneuver past skilled tennis and make the most of the numerous inventive and entrepreneurial alternatives at the moment are out there to her. However she couldn’t resist the pull to check herself in opposition to the sports activities’ elite a minimum of another time this week on the Mubadala Citi Open in Washington, D.C.
Williams, who was granted a wild card into the primary draw and can face American Peyton Stearns in her first match for the reason that 2024 Miami Open, explains her resolution to play as follows: “Why not?”
The American icon spoke to the media in a pre-tournament press convention on Sunday and doled out knowledge at a speedy clip.
“It is unbelievable,” she mentioned, beaming from the rostrum, as she was requested what it felt wish to encourage America’s subsequent technology of expertise. “Truly, that was not what I believed would occur in my life as a teenager. I wished to play the sport, be a champion. I liked the sport a lot, I did not understand that it will be a lot greater than myself, and seeing these younger girls doing optimistic issues with their life, successful tournaments, inspiring the subsequent technology too. It is like I might have by no means imagined that.”
She completed the declaration with a really Venus sentence:
“It is like icing on the cake, cherries on prime, with the nuts and all of the fixings. You realize, it is stunning.”
Did she miss tennis? Is that why she’s returning this week? Not essentially.
“I am not an individual that misses so much,” she mentioned. “I’ve a lot I am doing off of the courtroom that saved me so busy that I do not know if I had time to overlook something, however I do know that after I went to Wimbledon this yr, I used to be there for a day, and it was so stunning and thrilling, and I remembered all of the instances that I had, in fact, the adrenaline, all these issues, I believe simply the pure enjoyable of taking part in the sport, the enjoyable of the problem, overcoming – whenever you play, you must overcome so many challenges, your opponents, the situations, numerous instances you must overcome your self.
“These issues are very thrilling. So I believe possibly simply the problem of all of it.”
Williams might need to catch a wild card on the US Open, however as she mentioned quite a few instances throughout her press convention, she prefers to maintain her playing cards tight to her vest.
“I am simply right here for now, and who is aware of, possibly there’s extra,” she mentioned. “Like I mentioned, I maintain my playing cards shut, however in the meanwhile I am centered simply on this, and I have not performed in a yr. There isn’t any doubt I can play tennis, however clearly, coming again to play matches, it takes time to get within the swing of issues.”
Which takes us to our subsequent query. Can she be efficient on the tennis courtroom, at her age, after so many well being points? Williams has not received a match since 2023 in Cincinnati, and she or he has received simply six of 26 matches for the reason that begin of 2021.
Not that it actually issues to followers who simply need to catch a glimpse of this legend up shut and private, however Williams feels she has what it takes to play successful tennis.
“I undoubtedly really feel I will play nicely. I am nonetheless the identical participant. I hit huge,” she mentioned with a smile. “That is my model. So it is about hitting huge and really placing it in. So this can be my effort. Put it within the courtroom. That is my principal aim.
Extra vital, is being part of the sport that she loves, and persevering with to fly the flag for ladies’s tennis. Do not forget that Venus performed a pivotal function in garnering equal prize cash for ladies at Wimbledon practically twenty years in the past. She’s been championing the ladies’s sport ever since, and she or he’s not able to cease – a minimum of not but.
“I at all times felt an enormous duty in direction of selling tennis and likewise selling girls’s sports activities. I believe that this technology cannot neglect that girls, we nonetheless have heaps to battle for and having an instance to set is so vital.
“And naturally, I am in love with tennis, so to have the chance, to have this platform, to advertise the sport, even now, is a good alternative.”
Will probably be Venus Williams vs Peyton Stearns in spherical one at DC. pic.twitter.com/BxxoPSftHF
— TennisNow (@Tennis_Now) July 20, 2025
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