Venus Williams, 45, to end 16-month layoff in Washington
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 US capital tournament, the first hardcourt tuneup for the US Open.
"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."
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.
The older sister of 23-time Grand Slam singles champion Serena Williams has not played since a first-round loss at Miami last year.
"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.
"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."
Venus Williams, the 2000 Sydney Olympic singles champion, has won five Wimbledon singles titles and two US Open crowns.
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.
"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.
"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."
A year ago, tennis was far from the most important thing on her mind.
"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.
"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."
- 'Fun of the challenge' -
Williams was feeling well enough to accept a wildcard and a visit to Wimbledon added some inspiration.
"I had been hitting the ball and of course I love the game and the hard courts. It's my favorite surface, what I feel comfortable on. so all those different factors," Williams said of her choice to play in Washington.
"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.
"I think just the pure fun of playing the game, the fun of the challenge, overcoming. Those things are very exciting."
The seven Slam singles titles by Williams match the rest of the Washington field, which includes four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka of Japan.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Maverick
12 hours ago
- Daily Maverick
The optics of Jannik Sinner reappointing the fitness trainer he fired after doping scandal are not good
World No 1 Jannik Sinner has rehired a coach he fired after a doping offence. On the tennis court Jannik Sinner is easy on the eye – his liquid movements and effortless power make for compelling viewing. Off the court though, the optics are less appealing. After serving a three-month suspension for a doping violation, which tarnished his reputation, Sinner has added fuel to the fire by rehiring a staff member who was central to the doping violation in the first place. The world No 1 dismissed two of his staff because of his 2024 positive doping test. Umberto Ferrara, the man who, according to Sinner's defence, purchased a tube of Trofodermin, an over-the-counter spray, which contained the banned anabolic steroid clostebol, has been reinstated. 'Jannik Sinner has reappointed Umberto Ferrara as his fitness coach with immediate effect,' a statement from Sinner's camp read. 'The decision has been made in alignment with Jannik's management team as part of ongoing preparations for upcoming tournaments, including the Cincinnati Open and US Open. 'Umberto has played an important role in Jannik's development to date, and his return reflects a renewed focus on continuity and performance at the highest level.' The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), which investigated the case after Sinner returned a positive sample on 10 March 2024, concluded that the banned substance entered his system by accident. Sinner said his physio, Giacomo Naldi, who was given the medication by Ferrara, applied an over-the-counter spray containing clostebol to his own skin to treat a small finger wound, and then administered massages between 5 and 13 March without using gloves, according to ITIA. Naldi was unaware that the product he had used on his cut contained clostebol, according to Sinner's defence. Clostebol is a steroid that can be used to build muscle mass. Plausible? A provisional suspension was applied with each positive test but he was allowed to keep playing after his team filed urgent appeals. Sinner subsequently fired Naldi and his fitness trainer Ferrara. It initially seemed an implausible defence, especially as the concept of strict liability is central to any doping code. It means athletes are responsible for what they ingest at any time. But ITIA found it plausible, as did the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) in the end. Wada had appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against an independent tribunal's decision last August to clear Sinner of wrongdoing. But Sinner and Wada came to a settlement before the case went to CAS. 'Wada confirms that it has entered into a case resolution agreement in the case of Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner, with the player accepting a three-month period of ineligibility for an anti-doping rule violation,' Wada said in February. 'Wada accepts that Mr Sinner did not intend to cheat and that his exposure to clostebol did not provide any performance-enhancing benefit and took place without his knowledge as the result of negligence of members of his entourage. 'However, under the Code and by virtue of the CAS precedent, an athlete bears responsibility for the entourage's negligence.' Sinner was suspended for three months as a consequence of the positive finding. His ban ended just before the Italian Open in May and allowed Sinner to also play in the French Open later that month. He went on to make the final at Roland-Garros, losing an epic five-set match against Carlos Alcaraz. Sinner subsequently won the 2025 Wimbledon title with a four-set victory over Alcaraz. Poor optics While the handling of Sinner's case was done by the book, and his right to appeal his initial suspension was procedurally correct, the latest development is not a good look. Sinner's defence for what were minuscule traces of clostebol, were plausible and received the support of the head of the US Anti-Doping Agency (Usada) Travis Tygart. 'Transparency was upheld. Why was he (Sinner) not provisionally suspended? Well, he was. But he appealed it, and they lifted it. That's within the rules,' Tygart told Daily Maverick. 'Sinner's samples showed less than one nanogram of clostebol, which is minute,' Tygart said. 'It was like 500 picograms. There is an experiment that the Cologne Laboratory did where they got this medication, this lotion over the counter, and they rubbed it on their hands. 'They let their hands dry and a little while later, they went and shook hands with someone else. 'They then took the urine from that someone else. The results showed they had a low level of 500 picograms of clostebol. 'So, as outrageous as this (Sinner) scenario sounds, we know it could happen.' Sinner now risks losing some of the understanding and sympathy he generated from sceptics, especially after his recent performances, allied to his respectful demeanour and growing rivalry with Alcaraz. It is boosting men's tennis and has helped rebuild his tarnished image. The sport needs a rivalry to maintain the high interest levels now that the era of the Big Three – Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic – is over. But this feels like a misstep in his public relations rehabilitation. There's an underlying debate about accountability and perception, especially given Sinner's high profile as the current world No 1 and recent Wimbledon champion status. Ferrara might well be innocent in the entire saga, but considering the controversy around the incident and the subsequent investigation, was it the smartest move to re-employ a fitness trainer who provided a banned substance, innocently or not? While Sinner's team has framed the move as a strategic decision for performance and continuity, the reaction from the broader tennis community might not be so forgiving. DM Timeline 12 February 2024: Umberto Ferrara, Sinner's fitness coach, purchases Trofodermin, an over-the-counter spray containing the anabolic steroid clostebol, at a pharmacy in Bologna, Italy; 3 March, 2024: Physiotherapist Giacomo Naldi cuts his finger and, after bandaging it, begins using the Trofodermin spray, provided by Ferrara, for nine days. During this period, Naldi gives Sinner daily full-body massages without wearing gloves; 10 March 2024: Sinner provides two in-competition urine samples at the Indian Wells tournament that test positive for clostebol; 18 March 2024: An out-of-competition urine sample provided by Sinner, ahead of the Miami Open, also tests positive for clostebol; 4 April 2024: Sinner is formally notified of the adverse analytical finding and is provisionally suspended. He immediately appeals the suspension, which is lifted the following day; 17 April 2024: Sinner is notified of the second adverse finding. He again appeals the provisional ban, and it is upheld; 30 May 2024: The International Tennis Integrity Agency formally charges Sinner with anti-doping rule violations; 19 June 2024: Sinner's legal team submits detailed explanations, arguing inadvertent contamination due to Naldi's use of the spray and Sinner's skin condition; 15 August 2024: An independent tribunal hears Sinner's case while he is competing at the Cincinnati Open; 20 August 2024: News of the doping case is publicly revealed. The independent tribunal finds Sinner bore 'no fault or negligence' for the positive tests, effectively clearing him. He is stripped of prize money and points from Indian Wells; 23 August 2024: Sinner announces he is parting ways with both physiotherapist Naldi and fitness coach Ferrara; 26 September 2024: The World Anti-Doping Agency lodges an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against the ITIA's 'no fault or negligence' ruling, seeking a ban of one to two years for Sinner; 10 January 2025: CAS schedules a closed-doors hearing for the Wada appeal on 16 and 17 April 2025; 9 February 2025: Sinner's period of ineligibility (ban) officially begins, after he reaches a settlement agreement with Wada; 15 February 2025: Wada and Sinner announce a case resolution agreement, where Sinner accepts a three-month ban for the anti-doping rule violation. Wada withdraws its appeal to CAS. The ban means Sinner cannot play until 4 May 2025; 13 April 2025: Sinner is cleared to resume official training activities with his team; 4 May 2025: Sinner's three months of ineligibility ends, making him eligible to return to competition; 7 May 2025: Sinner is able to play in the Italian Open, his first tournament back after the ban; 23 July 2025:
IOL News
19 hours ago
- IOL News
Banyana Banyana brave golden run ends in agony
BANYANA Banyana midfielder Linda Motlhalo challenged by Rasheedat Ajibade of Nigeria during the semi-final of the 2024 Women's Africa Cup of Nations in Casablanca. Motlhalo scored a second half as South Africa lost 2-1 as the game finished with traumatic scenes due Gabriela Slagado injury. | BackpagePix History and pride were at stake as Banyana Banyana stepped onto the pitch in the penultimate round of the Women's Africa Cup of Nations, looking to defend their crown in a highly anticipated semi-final clash against rivals Nigeria on Tuesday. However, South Africa's hopes of reaching a second consecutive WAFCON final were dashed as they suffered a narrow 2-1 defeat, their first in the last two tournaments. The loss also meant they missed out on automatic qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup, with both finalists — Nigeria and hosts Morocco — now having secured their spots. Morocco booked their place with a dramatic 4-2 penalty shootout win over Ghana following a 1-1 draw after extra time. Banyana will now shift their focus to the third-place playoff, where they will once again face Ghana on Friday. This match will be a rematch from the group stage, where South Africa edged the Ghanaians with a hard-fought 2-0 victory. Since then, Ghana have shown considerable improvement, making this a fixture to watch. The semi-final defeat also marks the second consecutive time Banyana have missed out on a major tournament at the hands of Nigeria. Last year, they fell short in the two-legged Olympic qualifier against the Super Falcons, losing 1-0 on aggregate and missing out on the 2024 Paris Olympics. But luckily this time with another route to World Cup qualification still available, we reflect on three key talking points from Tuesday's encounter.
eNCA
21 hours ago
- eNCA
Fritz, Medvedev advance at DC Open
WASHINGTON - Top seed Taylor Fritz romped into the last 16 at the ATP/WTA DC Open as Russian eighth seed Daniil Medvedev overcame an early scare to advance to the third round. World number four Fritz, playing his first match since losing to Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-finals at Wimbledon earlier this month, cruised past Australia's Aleksandar Vukic 6-3, 6-2 in 59 minutes. The American dominated Vukic with a powerful service game while producing a slew of superb backhands in a stream of 28 winners to ease into a last 16 clash against Italy's Matteo Arnaldi. "I felt like I played pretty well all around, but the shot that stood out was the backhand line," Fritz told The Tennis Channel after his win. "I don't usually like that shot but it just felt like every single one I tried today was going in." Fritz was always in control of his game against the current world 105 Vukic, breaking to open up an early 3-0 lead before closing out the first set. A similarly dominant start saw him take a 4-0 lead early in the second before he wrapped up a comfortable win. Earlier, Russia's Medvedev was made to grind through a roller-coaster tussle with big-serving US player Reilly Opelka before coming through 3-6, 7-5, 6-1. After battling to square the match in the second set, Medvedev took advantage of Opelka's shaky serve in the decider to move on. "I didn't return well until 6-5 in the second but I always tried to look for solutions," Medvedev said. "Maybe he got a bit tired with the heat and everything. "Happy with the way I played better and better during the match and looking forward."
