“If you get to live life on your own terms, it is a life well lived,” said a happy-looking Venus Williams last week. The older Williams sister had just exited the Cincinnati Open in the first round, after a 6-4, 6-4 defeat to Jessica Maneiro. But that didn’t seem to dampen Venus’ spirits. Instead, during the post-match presser, she could hardly contain her excitement about her upcoming wild card entry to the 2025 US Open.

The 45-year-old tennis icon hasn’t played any matches since 2023. Moreover, Venus also went under the knife last year to remove uterine fibroids. And yet, that didn’t stop the fans from noting their glee when the US Open announced Williams as the tournament’s headliner this year. “I was surprised. And it was a wonderful surprise,” said Mark Ein, the chairman of the hard-court tournament in Washington on the star’s return. Now, it seems like retired former men’s #1 Andy Roddick also wants the community to soak up the upcoming spectacle while they can.

In a recent episode of Andy Roddick’s Served Media, the 2003 US Open winner urged the fans to feast their eyes on Venus Williams’ imminent return to the Big Apple. In the YouTube upload from August 22, Roddick could be heard saying, “ I don’t know how much longer we are going to have her in tennis if we don’t soak up every bit of this amazing story of these sisters coming out of Compton to dominate our sport.” Roddick went on to highlight how Venus’ unexpected comeback is truly a sight to behold.

“Can we talk about Venus Williams at 45 years old? I’m 42 and I grunted six times when I got out of bed this morning,” joked the show’s host, and Jon Wertheim also could hardly stop himself from chuckling at the statement. They reminded the fans on how Williams was a finalist at the tournament in 1997 against Irina Spirlea. Naturally, with one of those two finalists returning to the same court after almost two decades, Roddick wants the comeback to be one for the ages.

“I want her to win. I want it to be a story,” Roddick said, as he hailed both Venus and Serena for their incredible contributions to the sport of tennis. “Imagine having won seven Grand Slam titles and being the second best player in your family. These women are exceptional. They are amazing. We are lucky to have had them in our game. They are phenomenal,” the hosts attested to the Williams sisters’ greatness without holding back.

Venus hasn’t a match at the New York competition since 2019. And yet, ahead of her US Open return, the 7x Grand Slam winner was oozing with confidence. “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. 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,” Williams assured everyone that she would step onto the court with all guns blazing.

However, as of now, it does look like a little rust in her hands are evident. Teaming up with long-time friend, Reilly Opelka, Serena entered the mixed-doubles at the US Open, but was ousted from the competition by the team of Andrey Rublev and Karolina Muchova. But the Arthur Ashe Stadium will definitely be a whole different story.

Venus will begin her singles journey against the 11th-seeded Muchova, and we daresay the former’s experience can play a crucial role against the Czechian. Moreover, ahead of her comeback, it does look like the fans are waiting eagerly to rally behind the legend one more time.

The world breathlessly waits to welcome back Venus Williams

Opelka and Williams lost their Round of 16 matches in straight sets. However, the defeat wasn’t enough for the fans to stop admiring the immense effort from Venus’ side to return to the court despite being in her mid-40s. Hundreds of tennis fans flocked to social media to hail as the older Williams sibling as a bona fide legend of the sport, a sentiment that was further reflected by the star’s own sister.

“Pretty excited about what she’s doing. Remarkable,” the 23x Grand Slam winner told Today, making it clear that Venus’ decision has only made her admire her elder sister even more than before. Yes, remarkable is what it is. After all, Venus overcame a long list of hurdles to reach here, including struggling at the CITI Open last month. But Williams made it clear that pushing through the adversities is what makes her great.

“There are no limits for excellence. 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,” she said after her Round of 16 loss at the competition. And ahead of the US Open, she even explained that she had plans to play at the tournament last year, but unforeseen circumstance derailed her goal, which she very much would like to compensate for this time around.

So, when Venus Williams faces Muchova next Monday, how do you think the action will pan out? Tell us your predictions in a comment.