Latest news with #Peyton Stearns
Forbes
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
What Venus Williams' DC Open Win Says About Women's Tennis
WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 22: Venus Williams celebrates after winning a women's single match against ... More Peyton Stearns (not pictured) during on day 2 of the Mubadala Citi DC Open 2025 at William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center on July 22, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by) Venus Williams defeated Peyton Stearns 6-3, 6-4 at the DC Open yesterday, becoming the oldest woman to win a WTA Tour match since Martina Navratilova (47) in 2004. Williams returned to tennis for the first time in 16 months. Two weeks ago, her WTA Tour profile listed her as inactive. In the last two years, Venus appeared in more fashion shows than tennis matches. This week, Venus won two matches in two days, including one in doubles with Hailey Baptiste. "There are no limits for excellence," Williams told WTA staff after the match. "It's all about what's in your head and how much you're able to put into it. If you put in the work mentally, physically, and emotionally, then you can have the result." What does it say about the state of women's tennis that an inactive 45-year-old, wearing a black turtleneck dress in the smoldering Washington, D.C. heat, can defeat a 23-year-old player ranked No. 35? Is Venus' talent timeless and so elite that it dwarfs what's considered good play on the WTA today? Has the WTA, sans the Williams sisters, fallen victim to parity or mediocrity? Maybe Venus' victory is merely a moment in time, like Jimmy Connors in the 1991 U.S. Open. Connors was 39, ranked No. 174 and reached the semifinals. PARIS, FRANCE - JUNE 23: Venus Williams walks the runway during Vogue World: Paris at Place Vendome ... More on June 23, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo byfor Vogue) Next up for Williams is No. 24 Magdalena Frech, who defeated Yuliaa Starodubtseva, 6-2, 6-4. This will be Venus' first meeting against Frech. Venus took a wildcard to enter the DC Open, a standing offer from tournament chairman Mark Ein, a personal friend. In March, there were rumors that Venus accepted a wildcard to play at Indian Wells, but she declined. Fans saw Venus frequently during the French Open as part of TNT Sports' coverage. As soon as word spread about Venus accepting the wildcard to the DC Open, fans and journalists debated whether an unranked 45-year-old who last won a match in 2023 should get a free pass into the main draw. Venus dismissed the controversy, telling journalists, "I'm not here for anyone else, except for me, and I also have nothing to prove. Zip, zero." Venus Williams Holds Back Father Time WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 22: Venus Williams returns a shot against Peyton Stearns (not pictured) during ... More a women's single match on day 2 of the Mubadala Citi DC Open 2025 at William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center on July 22, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by) Father Time is undefeated and a few months ago, Venus looked as if she'd come to terms with the aging state of her game. However, her fiancé, actor Andrea Preti, who'd never seen her play live, encouraged Venus to return to tennis. 'I haven't played in a year. There is no doubt I can play tennis, but obviously coming back to play matches, it takes time to get in the swing of things,' Venus told reporters during a pre-tournament press conference. 'I definitely feel I'll play well. I'm still the same player. I'm a big hitter. I hit big. This is my brand.' Serena became the oldest woman to win a Grand Slam when she defeated Venus in the final of the 2017 Australian Open. Serena was 35 years and 124 days old. Venus is ten years older than that. On Monday, Stan Wawrinka, 40, became the fourth youngest man to win an ATP Tour match. Connors (42 years and 9 months) is the oldest. Wawrinka has been playing matches regularly and defeated Swiss player Alvaro Guillén Meza, a player ranked No. 244 who spends most of his time on the Challenger's Tour. Meza's career high is No. 175. He's 0-2 in ATP level matches this year. Stearns reached a career-high No. 28 in May. She defeated Naomi Osaka and Elina Svitolina en route to the semifinals in Rome. That's a 1000-level event, not the Challenger Tour. What Venus pulled off would be like if Roger Federer, 43, came out of retirement and beat the ATP's No. 35, Gabriel Diallo, 23, in straight sets. Diallo is playing in the DC Open, won his match in straight sets and faces Ben Shelton in the third round. How Venus Williams Defeated Peyton Stearns WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 22: Peyton Stearns reacts after losing a point against Venus Williams (not ... More pictured) during a women's single match on day 2 of the Mubadala Citi DC Open 2025 at William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center on July 22, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by) Stearns had a shaky start. But so did Venus, who was broken at love in the first game. Despite carrying a few extra pounds, Venus's footwork was efficient. She didn't chase down every ball, but approached the net when prudent, showcasing her solid volleys. She still covers the net well. Williams has one of the best serves in the history of the game. And she hit nine aces, leaving Stearns awestruck, jaw dropped in disbelief. Williams won 71 percent of her first-serve points. "I think it was a big win for me today. Like I said, it's not easy. It won't be easy. It's not easy for anyone out here. So I know I'll have to fight for every match, but I'm up for that," said Venus. Did Venus Williams Expose A Weak WTA? Anytime there is a debate about the greatest of all time, people say it's impossible to compare eras. But Venus' career spans three eras. She turned pro in 1994, when Steffi Graf, Monica Seles, and Navratilova still were on the tour. Stearns was born in October 2001, when Venus was No. 2 and the reigning U.S. Open champion. Yet, today's tour, where Stearns is a tough out, isn't much different from the way it looked three years ago when Venus regularly lost opening-round matches. Between 2022 and 2024, Venus had a 3-13 record. Venus went winless in 2023, the year Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff finished the season ranked No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3, respectively. Currently, Sabalenka, Gauff, and Swiatek are ranked, 1, 2 and 3. None of them are playing in the Citi Open. Perhaps Stearns' loss says more about Venus' skill set. A player with a big serve who can hit winners from both wings will always be competitive. Stearns hadn't faced Venus before. Stearns plays on a tour with big hitters, like Elena Rybakina and Sabalenka. Yet, the weight of Venus' ball seemed to surprise Stearns. Rybakina and Sabalenka hit flat balls and are like pitchers throwing fastballs. Venus serves a fastball with heavy topspin. Venus and Serena play like pitchers with curve and knuckle balls that fly like at a fastball. Stearns is not used to that. WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 22: Venus Williams reacts after winning a women's single match against Peyton ... More Stearns (not pictured) during on day 2 of the Mubadala Citi DC Open 2025 at William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center on July 22, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by) Swiatek hits with massive topspin. Her first serve is decent, but her second serve is attackable and not coming from a 6'1" trajectory. Gauff is one of the best movers in the game. She can produce topspin, and she has great hands at the net. But her serve is unreliable. Venus brings the entire package, and that might be what's missing from the WTA. Could Gauff, a great mover, with an all-court game but a shaky serve, win two Grand Slam titles in the Williams sisters' era? Elena Dementieva never did. Maybe it's the Williams-level resilience missing. Getting to the top is not as difficult as staying there. "It doesn't matter how many times you fall down. Doesn't matter how many times you get sick or get hurt or whatever it is. If you continue to believe and put in the work, there is an opportunity, there is space for you," said Venus. Take Grand Slam champions Emma Raducanu and Naomi Osaka, who will meet in the second round of the DC Open. These champions are struggling to secure enough wins to return to the Top 20. They are in their 20s. At their age, Venus and Serena were trading victory and runner-up speeches in tournament finals. Raducanu and Osaka have victories over Serena. But that was the post-pregnancy Serena. Raducanu's run at the US Open happened in a Williams-less draw. During the pre-tournament press conference, Venus talked about wanting her sister Serena to join her on the tour. If Venus can beat a Top 35 player in straight sets, so can Serena. Regardless, the Williams sisters have nothing to prove. Venus' victory over Stearns puts the burden of proof on the rest of the WTA players.
CNN
6 days ago
- Sport
- CNN
Venus Williams, 45, becomes oldest player to win WTA singles match in more than 20 years
Venus Williams rolled back the years to produce a brilliant display as she eliminated fellow American Peyton Stearns 6-3, 6-4 to reach the round of 16 of the DC Open. Williams, 45, becomes the oldest player to win a singles match on the WTA Tour since Martina Navratilova won in the first round of Wimbledon in 2004 aged 47. It was Williams' second tour victory in as many days after she recorded a doubles win at the DC Open alongside Hailey Baptiste on Monday. 'You know, it's the first step, and the first match is always extremely difficult,' Williams said after the match, per the WTA. 'It's hard to describe how difficult it is to play a first match after so much time off. 'So going into the match, I know I have the ability to win, but it's all about actually winning. So this is the best result, to play a good match and win. 'I'm here with my friends, family, people I love, and the fans too, who I love and they love me, so this has been just a beautiful night.' It was an impressive display from Williams against world No. 35 Stearns, fighting back from a break to love in her opening service game and again effectively using her aggressive serving and returning as a weapon. Tuesday's win was Williams' first singles match on tour since an opening-round defeat to Diana Shnaider at the Miami Open in March 2024, while her last victory came in 2023 against Veronika Kudermetova in the opening round of the Cincinnati Open. Monday was also Williams' first doubles match in almost three years, and until this week she had been listed as 'unactive' on the WTA Tour. Over the course of her career, the American former world No. 1 won seven grand slam singles titles and 14 in doubles alongside younger sister Serena – as well as two mixed doubles grand slam titles in 1998. 'There are no limits for excellence,' Williams said. 'It's all about what's in your head and how much you're able to put into it. If you put in the work mentally, physically and emotionally, then you can have the result. 'It doesn't matter how many times you fall down. Doesn't matter how many times you get sick or get hurt or whatever it is. If you continue to believe and put in the work, there is an opportunity, there is space for you.' Williams faces a tough test in Poland's world No. 24 Magdalena Fręch in the next round on Thursday, while her next doubles match with Baptiste is scheduled for Wednesday against fellow American Taylor Townsend and China's Zhang Shuai. Following the match, Williams also spoke about her recent engagement to Italian actor Andrea Preti, who was in attendance to watch her play for the first time. 'My fiancé is here and he really encouraged me to keep playing,' Williams said. 'There were so many times where I just wanted to coast and kind of chill. 'Do you know how hard it is to play tennis? You guys don't know how much work goes into this, like it's 9 to 5 except you're running the whole time. Lifting weights and just like dying and then you repeat it the next day. 'So he encouraged me to get through this and it's wonderful to be here. He's never seen me play.'
CNN
6 days ago
- Sport
- CNN
Venus Williams, 45, becomes oldest player to win WTA singles match in more than 20 years
Venus Williams rolled back the years to produce a brilliant display as she eliminated fellow American Peyton Stearns 6-3, 6-4 to reach the round of 16 of the DC Open. Williams, 45, becomes the oldest player to win a singles match on the WTA Tour since Martina Navratilova won in the first round of Wimbledon in 2004 aged 47. It was Williams' second tour victory in as many days after she recorded a doubles win at the DC Open alongside Hailey Baptiste on Monday. 'You know, it's the first step, and the first match is always extremely difficult,' Williams said after the match, per the WTA. 'It's hard to describe how difficult it is to play a first match after so much time off. 'So going into the match, I know I have the ability to win, but it's all about actually winning. So this is the best result, to play a good match and win. 'I'm here with my friends, family, people I love, and the fans too, who I love and they love me, so this has been just a beautiful night.' It was an impressive display from Williams against world No. 35 Stearns, fighting back from a break to love in her opening service game and again effectively using her aggressive serving and returning as a weapon. Tuesday's win was Williams' first singles match on tour since an opening-round defeat to Diana Shnaider at the Miami Open in March 2024, while her last victory came in 2023 against Veronika Kudermetova in the opening round of the Cincinnati Open. Monday was also Williams' first doubles match in almost three years, and until this week she had been listed as 'unactive' on the WTA Tour. Over the course of her career, the American former world No. 1 won seven grand slam singles titles and 14 in doubles alongside younger sister Serena – as well as two mixed doubles grand slam titles in 1998. 'There are no limits for excellence,' Williams said. 'It's all about what's in your head and how much you're able to put into it. If you put in the work mentally, physically and emotionally, then you can have the result. 'It doesn't matter how many times you fall down. Doesn't matter how many times you get sick or get hurt or whatever it is. If you continue to believe and put in the work, there is an opportunity, there is space for you.' Williams faces a tough test in Poland's world No. 24 Magdalena Fręch in the next round on Thursday, while her next doubles match with Baptiste is scheduled for Wednesday against fellow American Taylor Townsend and China's Zhang Shuai. Following the match, Williams also spoke about her recent engagement to Italian actor Andrea Preti, who was in attendance to watch her play for the first time. 'My fiancé is here and he really encouraged me to keep playing,' Williams said. 'There were so many times where I just wanted to coast and kind of chill. 'Do you know how hard it is to play tennis? You guys don't know how much work goes into this, like it's 9 to 5 except you're running the whole time. Lifting weights and just like dying and then you repeat it the next day. 'So he encouraged me to get through this and it's wonderful to be here. He's never seen me play.'
Asharq Al-Awsat
6 days ago
- Sport
- Asharq Al-Awsat
45-Year-Old Venus Williams Becomes the Oldest Woman Since Martina Navratilova to Win a Singles Match
Venus Williams became the second-oldest woman to win a tour-level singles match in professional tennis, delivering some of her familiar big serves and groundstrokes at age 45 while beating Peyton Stearns — 22 years her junior — by a 6-3, 6-4 score at the DC Open on Tuesday night. This was the first singles victory for Williams in nearly two years. The only older woman to win a match was Martina Navratilova at 47 in 2004. The former No. 1-ranked Williams had not played singles in an official match since March 2024 in Miami, missing time while having surgery to remove uterine fibroids. She hadn't won in singles since August 2023 in Cincinnati. Until this week, she was listed by the WTA Tour as "inactive." "It is not easy," Williams said, "to (come back) after all that time and play the perfect match." But backed by a crowd that clearly was there to see, and support, her at the hard-court tournament in the nation's capital, Williams showed glimpses of the talent she possesses and the skills she displayed while earning all of her Grand Slam titles: seven in singles, 14 in women's doubles — all alongside younger sister Serena — and two in mixed doubles. "I wanted to play a good match," she told the fans, then added a phrase that drew appreciative roars: "and win the match." In Tuesday's second game, for example, Williams smacked a return winner to get things started, then delivered a couple of other big responses to break Stearns, a 23-year-old who won singles and team NCAA titles at the University of Texas and is currently ranked 35th. In the next game, Williams sprinted forward to reach a drop shot and replied with a winner. Soon, she led 4-2, then was closing that set. She was accompanied by choruses of cheers. The first arrived when Williams walked out into the main stadium at the DC Open, a 7,000-seat arena that's more than twice as large as where she was for her doubles victory a day earlier. Another came when she strode from the sideline to the center of the court for the formality of the coin toss. The noise really reached a crescendo when Williams began hitting aces — at 110 mph and faster — the way she used to. There also were moments where Williams — who said her fiancé was in the stands — looked as if it had been just as long as it actually has since she competed, including in the opening game, when she got broken at love this way: forehand wide, forehand into the net, forehand long, backhand long. At the end, it took Williams a bit of extra effort to close things out. She kept holding match points and kept failing to convert them. But eventually, on her sixth chance, Williams powered in a 112 mph serve that Stearns returned into the net. That was it: Williams smiled wide as can be, raised a fist and jogged to the net to shake hands, then performed her customary post-win pirouette-and-wave. She advanced to a second-round matchup against No. 5 seed Magdalena Frech, a 27-year-old from Poland. In other action Tuesday, Emma Raducanu handed No. 7 seed Marta Kostyuk a sixth consecutive loss by eliminating her 7-6 (4), 6-4. That set up a matchup between Raducanu and four-time major champion Naomi Osaka, who was a 6-2, 7-5 winner against Yulia Putintseva. Two top men's seeds exited: Cam Norrie beat No. 2 Lorenzo Musetti 3-6, 6-2, 6-3, and No. 3 Holger Rune withdrew from the tournament because of a back injury. No. 4 seed Ben Shelton defeated Mackie McDonald 6-3, 6-4.
Washington Post
6 days ago
- Sport
- Washington Post
Venus Williams is back with a joyous victory at the DC Open
When it finally was over — she sealed it on her sixth match point — Venus Williams raised both arms as her game face relaxed into a beaming, gleeful smile. She seemingly floated to the net with a giddy jump, showing nothing but joy after a 6-3, 6-4 win over Peyton Stearns on Tuesday night at the DC Open. No woman of her age had won a tour-level singles match since Martina Navratilova posted a victory at Wimbledon at 47 in 2004. But most 45-year-olds don't bring the aura of Venus Williams to the tennis court. 'The community here that supports me so much, it's like playing at home,' said Williams, who is scheduled to face Poland's Magdalena Frech in the round of 16 Thursday. 'I've been coming to D.C. for a long time. I see a lot of people — like this gentleman back here who said, 'I first met you when you were 13.' And I remember my first time coming here: I was about 13 years old.' Before this week, Williams hadn't played a match in the past 16 months. She entered the DC Open as a wild card who seemingly wasn't supposed to advance in both the singles and doubles brackets. But with her first singles victory since August 2023, the former top-ranked player and seven-time Grand Slam singles champion made a new kind of history. Hundreds of fans watched Williams take the court Tuesday through the screens of their phones. There were just as many videos being shot when she closed out her win. With no guarantee of when she might pop up next, these moments just had to be recorded. Technically, the win was an upset, but the pro-Williams crowd never saw it that way. She started poorly against the 23-year-old Stearns, just as she did Monday in her first doubles match. She lost every point of the first game Tuesday, but she quickly settled in. And as she settled in, so did the crowd, which grew louder and louder as the match progressed. As she inched closer to the win, the crowd sensed it, willing her through the marathon ninth and 10th games of the second set. Williams looked every bit of 45 at times, but she still exceeded 110 mph on her serve and recorded nine aces. 'I had to come back for the insurance — because they informed me this year that I'm on COBRA,' Williams said, drawing laughs, during the post-match on-court interview. 'So it's like, 'I got to get my benefits on.'' Before Monday's doubles match, Williams had last played at the 2024 Miami Open. Last July, Williams had surgery to remove uterine fibroids, which she said had caused her pain throughout her career. She felt the DC Open was the right time to come back. Two matches in, she is getting accustomed to match competitiveness again. 'Well, you got to win to learn to win,' she said Monday. 'You got to win to win again. Isn't that a conundrum? But in any case, it's so much work. I have been training for months to get to this moment. And then you train to be prepared to win in this moment, but it's not a guarantee.' Williams won her doubles match with D.C. native Hailey Baptiste, 6-3, 6-1, over Eugenie Bouchard and Clervie Ngounoue. The crowd waiting to get into that match Monday afternoon stretched down the ramps of the stands and spilled onto the sidewalk below. Everyone wanted a glimpse. The match was played on a smaller court adjacent to the main stadium. As they played, the stadium was essentially empty, but every inch of the bleachers at their court was full. Cramped on the narrow entryway, members of the hopeful runover crowd strained their necks while looking for a clear view or an empty seat. Well, unless you're Kevin Durant. Durant and his security guards forced their way through the blockade and to a specially cleared patch of seats. The D.C. native and NBA superstar was there for what everyone else wanted to see: the return of one of the most famous players in tennis. 'I think it's important to share those emotions,' said Williams, who will team with Baptiste to face Taylor Townsend and Shuai Zhang on Wednesday. 'To let go and to share that with the crowd and with the fans and with the world who are right there with you, you know, to see that moment of happiness in full circle.' Holger Rune, the No. 3 seed in the men's singles draw, withdrew Tuesday before playing a match. Rune has a back injury, according to a DC Open spokesperson. The native of Denmark was in Washington practicing over the weekend, including with five-time DC Open champion Andre Agassi.
