Venus Williams has revealed a trip to Wimbledon reignited her love for tennis, fuelling her return to competitive action after a 16-month absence.
The seven-time Grand Slam champion, who has not been seen on court since a straight sets defeat to Diana Shnaider at the 2024 Miami Open last March, is set to return at the DC Open – live on Sky Sports – after receiving a wildcard.
The 45-year-old revealed a recent trip to SW19 – where she claimed five singles and six doubles titles – for the 2025 Wimbledon championships evoked memories that inspired her to pick up a racket again.
“I do know that when I went to Wimbledon this year I was there for a day and it was so beautiful and exciting and I remembered all the times I had, the adrenaline, all those things,” Williams said.
“Just the pure fun of playing the game, the fun of the challenge, overcoming – when you play, you overcome so many challenges: your opponents, the conditions, a lot of times you have to overcome yourself. Those things are very exciting, so I think maybe just the challenge of it all.”
Williams refused to rule out a full-time return to tennis but stressed she was focusing on the mental and physical challenges of her comeback, which include rekindling her power-playing abilities, rather than long-term plans.
“I’m just here for now, and who knows?” she added. “Maybe there’s more…
“I haven’t played in a year. There is no doubt I can play tennis… I’m still the same player. I’m a big hitter. I hit big. This is my brand.”
‘Only thing missing is Serena’
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Serena Williams has not played tennis since the 2022 US Open
Williams spoke emotionally about her sister Serena, who hasn’t played since the 2022 US Open.
“The only thing that would make this better is if she was here,” she said. “We always did everything together, so, of course I miss her.”
Asked about Serena’s recent video swinging a racket, Williams smiled: “If she comes back, I’m sure she will let you all know.”
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