Venus Williams becomes oldest player to win a WTA-level match since Martina Navratilova in 2004

Venus Williams made a winning return to the singles court at age 45 in Washington D.C. on Tuesday night, defeating 23-year-old countrywoman Peyton Stearns in the first round of the WTA 500 event, 6-3, 6-4.

It was an incredible accomplishment given it was her first singles match in 16 months (since the Miami Open in March 2024) and her first singles win in 23 months (since the Cincinnati Open in August 2023).

But it gets even more incredible.

At 45, Venus is the oldest player to win a WTA-level match in more than 21 years, since another legend—Martina Navratilova—won her first-round match at Wimbledon in 2004, at 47 years old. Navratilova defeated Colombia’s Catalina Castano, 6-0, 6-1, and was up a set in the second round against Gisela Dulko before falling to the Argentine, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3.

Venus was already the oldest player to even play a WTA-level match in almost eight years, since a 46-year-old Kimiko Date at Tokyo in 2017.

Having just beaten a Top 40 player in her first match back, up next for the former world No. 1 will be a Top 30 player—Magdalena Frech, who’s currently ranked No. 24, and the No. 5 seed in Washington D.C.

Venus and Frech will play on Thursday for a spot in the quarterfinals.

Venus has now been winning WTA-level matches for almost 31 years—her first professional victory came as a 14-year-old in October of 1994, and now her most recent as a 45-year-old in July of 2025.

She's a seven-time Grand Slam champion, winning five Wimbledons (2000, 2001, 2005, 2007 and 2008) and two US Opens (2000 and 2001), and reached No. 1 on the WTA rankings in February of 2002, just a few months before Serena first ascended to the top spot in July of 2002.

Additionally, Venus’ straight-set victory under the lights completed a perfect day for Grand Slam champions in Washington D.C.

They went 4-0, and 8-0 in sets, with Naomi Osaka beating Yulia Putintseva, 6-2, 7-5, Emma Raducanu taking out No. 7 seed Marta Kostyuk, 7-6 (4), 6-4, and Sofia Kenin holding off Hailey Baptiste, 6-3, 7-6 (4).

Baptiste is also playing doubles with Venus this week—they won their first match on Monday and will play their quarterfinal match on Wednesday against No. 2 seeds Taylor Townsend and Zhang Shuai.