Tennis legend Venus Williams is back. The 45-year-old former world No. 1 player won her first singles match in nearly two years, beating the world’s 35th Payton Stearns (6-3, 6-4) to reach the second round of the DC Open.
According to CBS Sports Research, in 45/35 days, Williams is the oldest woman to win a WTA Tour level match in a WTA Tour level match. According to the Associated Press, Williams served as nine aces in the game, some reaching 110 mph.
Check out her special victory moments here:
Williams wasn’t too rusty back to action. When she wasn’t doing aking service, she made some incredible moves and returned some difficult shots end-to-end that many 45-year-olds couldn’t.
Williams joked that he had to go back to court for insurance benefits as he was “always at the doctor.”
“I had to come back for insurance because they let me know that I was in the Cobra this year,” Williams said after the game. “So it seems I’ve come to my advantage.”
Williams has registered five Wimbledon and two US open titles in her career, and she was excited to return to the event in Washington, DC
“There’s something really special about DC: energy, fans, history,” Williams said in a statement via USA Today. “This city has always shown me so much love and I can’t wait to compete again.”
