Venus Williams says that she is returning to the sport after a 16-month absence because of her \u2018love of the game\u2019, and also hinted that Serena Williams may yet do the same in the near future.<\/p>\n
The 45 year old is due to come back to the sport which she once helped dominate at the 2025 Citi DC Open.<\/p>\n
Peyton Stearns will be her opening-round opponent, with the two having never played.<\/p>\n
Williams<\/a> last competed professionally at the Miami Open in 2024, where she fell to Diana Shnaider in straight-sets. More remarkably, the American hasn\u2019t won a singles match since the Cincinnati Masters a year prior.<\/p>\n In late 2023, she shut down her season after the US Open to let a knee injury heal naturally, something which continued into 2024.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy not?\u201d the seven-time Grand Slam champion quipped, when asked why she is returning to the sport after her extended break.<\/p>\n \u201cThis time I had been hitting the ball. And of course I love the game, and the hard courts, it\u2019s my favourite surface, what I feel comfortable on. So, all those different factors.<\/p>\n \u201cAs a young person, I wanted to play the game, be a champion. I loved the game so much, I didn\u2019t realize that it would be so much bigger than myself.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd seeing these young women doing positive things with their life, winning tournaments, inspiring the next generation, too, it\u2019s like I could have never imagined that. So, it\u2019s like icing on the cake, cherries on top with the nuts and all the fixings. It\u2019s beautiful.\u201d<\/p>\n Williams also dipped into the commentating world during the French Open<\/a> for TNT Sports, providing her highly-valued analysis.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it could be very easy to say the wrong thing, is what I realized when I was live on the air,\u201d said Williams.<\/p>\n \u201cI was, like, \u2018Just be careful. Don\u2019t say the wrong thing. Don\u2019t be too opinionated,\u2019 because I have a lot of opinions, and many of them possibly unfounded.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, I\u2019m glad I got out of it without being cancelled!\u201d<\/p>\n Whilst Williams will be getting the majority of the attention during the tournament, heads were turned after her younger sister \u2013 Serena \u2013 was spotted practising.<\/p>\n The 23-time Grand Slam champion officially retired from professional tennis at the US Open in 2022, but has sparked renewed interest that she may make a return in one way or another.<\/p>\n Latest WTA News<\/p>\n Emma Raducanu gets a massive rankings chance as a top 20 return is within reach<\/a><\/p>\n