In sports, one of the most unique measures of excellence is longevity.<\/p>\n
While athletes’ peak performance is always something to appreciate, sustained greatness over a long period often places them in another echelon. That holds true across all sports, from baseball and basketball to football, hockey, and tennis.<\/p>\n
And while Father Time has proven to be undefeated eventually, there are select standouts who have pushed the limits of those expectations.<\/p>\n
\ud83d\udcf2\u00a0Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp<\/a><\/p>\n In the world of tennis, Venus Williams has not been bound by the limits of time, returning from a one-year hiatus to get back on the court in 2025, over 30 years after officially turning pro. At 45, Williams put her name on the right side of history by winning a match at the DC Open.<\/p>\n Here’s where the seven-time Grand Slam champion ranks among the oldest players to win a WTA-level singles match.<\/p>\n MORE:\u00a0Updated WTA rankings<\/a><\/p>\n Oldest players to win on WTA Tour<\/p>\n Williams is second on the all-time list behind Martina Navratilova.\u00a0<\/p>\n At 47, Navratilova won a match at the 2004 Wimbledon tournament, where she advanced past the first round.<\/p>\n RankNameAgeEvent1.Martina Navratilova47Wimbledon, 20042.Venus Williams45DC Open, 2025<\/p>\n Navratilova’s final tour-level match win came in 2004, but she did not officially retire until 2006, 32 years after she turned pro.<\/p>\n MORE:\u00a0How Arthur Ashe inspired the most prestigious ESPY award<\/p>\n Williams’ win at the 2025 DC Open comes 31 years after her first-ever tour-level win when she was 14. After the win, Williams jokingly admitted, “I had to come back for the insurance because they informed me this year that I’m on COBRA.<\/p>\n “So it’s like, I got to get my benefits on, started training. \u2026 I’m always at the doctor, I need this insurance.”<\/p>\n Venus Williams after becoming the oldest WTA match winner since 2004:<\/p>\n \u201cI had to come back for the insurance, because they informed me this year that I\u2019m on cobra. So it\u2019s like, I got to get my benefits on\u201d \ud83d\ude2d\ud83d\ude2d\ud83d\ude2d\ud83d\ude2d<\/p>\n