Venus Williams, 45, to end 16-month layoff in Washington
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The 45-year-old American overcame a serious health scare last year and after enjoying a visit to Wimbledon decided to accept a wildcard into the U.S. capital tournament, the first hardcourt tuneup for the US Open.
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'I think I know what I want to do, but I don't always want to talk about it,' Williams said. 'I'm just here for now. And who knows? Maybe there is more. I hold my cards close, but at the moment, I'm focused just on this.'
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Williams will open against 23-year-old American Peyton Stearns, ranked 34th in the world. Stearns won her only WTA title last year on clay at Rabat.
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The older sister of 23-time Grand Slam singles champion Serena Williams has not played since a first-round loss at Miami last year.
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'My personal goal is to have fun I think right now and enjoy the moment, not put too much pressure on myself,' Venus Williams said.
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'I don't know if I define success at this moment in any sort of way other than believing in myself and sticking to my process. That's not easy to do, especially after a layoff. So those are my goals.'
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Venus Williams, the 2000 Sydney Olympic singles champion, has won five Wimbledon singles titles and two US Open crowns.
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The most recent of her 49 WTA titles came in 2019 at the Taiwan Open. That was the last year she played a full tour schedule.
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'I definitely feel I'll play well,' Williams said. 'I'm still the same player. I'm a big hitter. I hit big. This is my brand.
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'So it's about hitting big and actually putting it in. So this will be my effort. Put it in the court. That's my main goal.'
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A year ago, tennis was far from the most important thing on her mind.
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'Yeah, my health journey was very scary. You know, this time a year ago I was preparing to go to surgery,' she said. 'There was no way for me to play tennis or play the US Open… I was just trying to get healthy.
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'In this last year, I have been through a lot physically, so to come back and be able to play and hopefully enjoy myself is a great opportunity.'
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'Fun of the challenge'
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Williams was feeling well enough to accept a wildcard and a visit to Wimbledon added some inspiration.
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'I had been hitting the ball and of course I love the game and the hard courts. It's my favourite surface, what I feel comfortable on. so all those different factors,' Williams said of her choice to play in Washington.
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'When I went to Wimbledon this year, I was there for a day and it was so beautiful and exciting. I remembered all the times that I had, and of course the adrenaline, all those things.
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