Turns out Venus Williams isn’t done just yet. The 45-year-old tennis legend, listed as an “inactive” player on the WTA Tour not too long ago, roared back into the spotlight at the DC Open with a commanding 6-3, 6-4 first-round win over World No. 35 Peyton Stearns.  The former World No. 1, who had already collected four Grand Slam titles by the time Stearns was born in 2001, looked sharp and confident under the Washington lights. With this victory, Williams became the second-oldest woman in WTA history to win a tour-level singles match, trailing only Martina Navratilova. But it’s not just about history. There’s also serious prize money on the line in D.C.

Venus Williams has earned around $42 million in career prize money so far, but few would have expected her to still be adding to that total in 2025. She’s doing just that at the DC Open. Alongside singles, Williams was also in the doubles draw. She teamed up with fellow American Hailey Baptiste and won their opening match against Eugenie Bouchard and Clervie Ngounoue on Monday.

However, the duo’s doubles run came to an end in the second round. They lost to second seeds Taylor Townsend and Zhang Shuai 6-4, 3-6, 10-6 in a match decided by a champion’s tiebreaker. Now, the 7-time major titlist will focus solely on her singles campaign. She’s set to face fifth seed Magdalena Fręch in the second round. It’s not a terrible draw, either. Fręch has struggled for form lately and hasn’t won two singles matches in the same tournament since January’s Australian Open.

That gives the former World No.1 a decent shot at going further. And the deeper she goes, the more the rewards grow. According to the WTA Tour, over $1.2 million is up for grabs at the seven-day event in D.C. The singles champion takes home $197,570.

Here’s the breakdown:

• First round: 1 point | $13,585

• Round of 16: 60 points | $19,085

• Quarterfinals: 108 points | $37,530

• Semifinals: 195 points | $71,205

• Finalist: 325 points | $121,880

• Champion: 500 points | $197,570

So yes, the points and paychecks add up. But Williams had another, slightly unexpected reason for her return.

Venus Williams reveals true motivation behind her comeback

During her on-court interview after the win, Venus Williams gave a refreshingly honest and funny reason behind her comeback. “I had to come back for the insurance because they informed me earlier this year I’m on COBRA,” the 45-year-old said with a laugh. “So I was like, ‘I got to get my benefits on!’ Started training! You guys know what it’s like, and let me tell you, I’m always at the doctor, so I need this insurance.”

That prompted interviewer Rennae Stubbs to jump in. “She’s actually not lying about that. We talked about that about six years ago, so you’re actually telling the truth. Insurance is hard.”

COBRA, for the uninitiated, is a health insurance option that lets former employees and their families stay on their old employer’s health plan for a limited period. Of course, Venus was half-joking. With nearly $95 million in career earnings, she likely isn’t losing sleep over premiums.

Williams is also scheduled to play the Cincinnati Open, which kicks off on August 5. After that, she’s set to partner with Reilly Opelka in the newly formatted US Open Mixed Doubles. For now, though, all eyes are on D.C. and whether Williams can defy the odds once again in her singles run. She may be 45, but Venus Williams is still very much in the game. And with each match, she’s proving age really is just a number.