Venus Williams has made a triumphant return to professional tennis, winning her first match back after a 16-month absence due to health issues.
The 45-year-old tennis legend teamed up 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.
The match marked Williams’ first competitive appearance since undergoing surgery last year. Reflecting on her return, she admitted it wasn’t easy stepping back into doubles — a format she’s less familiar with.
“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 noted that this year feels like a complete turnaround from last year, when she was recovering from surgery. “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 set for Tuesday night, where she’ll face fellow American Peyton Stearns on the main court.
Around 3,000 fans attended her doubles return, including NBA superstar and Washington native Kevin Durant. Williams was thrilled to see the basketball icon in the crowd. “I was like, ‘Let me show KD what I’ve got,’” she joked. “But they hit every ball to Hailey!”
Baptiste also shared her excitement: “It’s so cool that he came out to support us,” she said, noting how chants of “K-D” from the stands energized the atmosphere.
For Williams, simply returning to the court felt like 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 emphasized how important it is to celebrate such moments with the crowd. “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 is retiring next week in Canada, appreciated the chance to face Williams once more. “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.”
