“You’ll know when it’s time. For me, it’s now. Ending where it all started: Montreal,” wrote Venus Williams’ DC Open first-round doubles opponent, Eugenie Bouchard, on her Instagram. Interestingly, Bouchard, now 31, was born in the same year Venus Williams made her debut—in 1994. And while the former has decided that the National Bank Open, which begins on July 26, will be her last tournament, Williams, at 45, is showing no signs of slowing down, let alone hanging up her racquet for good.

But let’s not forget the retirement speculations that went around before her return to the court. After all, the last time she played a match was at the 2024 Miami Open. And while many expected her to return earlier, with a wildcard at the Indian Wells Open this year, she chose not to compete. Even the WTA had tagged her as “Inactive.” Then again, she never, for once, used the word ‘retirement’ to refer to her situation.

So when it was finally time for her to make a comeback, there was no better place than the Washington Open, especially with the hard court being her favorite surface. Competing in her first match back, she joined forces with fellow American Hailey Baptiste and stormed to a rather one-sided 6-3, 6-1 doubles win over Eugenie Bouchard and Clervie Ngounoue. And her reaction to the match showed why she is likely to stay in the game for a little longer. “It was inspiring to be out here,” she told Sky Sports after the match. “I love this game and still hitting it big.” 

As for the exact duration of the stay, Williams wants to keep that to herself for the time being. “I think I know what I want to do, but I don’t always want to talk about it. I’m just here for now, and who knows? Maybe there’s more. Like I said, I hold my cards close, but at the moment, I’m focused just on this,” she told the press on Sunday.

For now, success to her means having fun, and boy did she have a lot of it playing alongside the 23-year-old Baptiste. So much so that she couldn’t resist joking that had her sister Serena (with whom she has 14 doubles titles, by the way) not stood “in the way,” she would have preferred to partner up with Baptiste.

Jokes aside, Venus actually practiced with the 23-time Grand Slam champ herself, Serena, during her time off. Venus said her younger sister swung by for a quick session, hitting for about 15 or 20 minutes. Naturally, a video of Serena back with a racquet set social media buzzing about a possible comeback.

But Venus refused to fuel the speculation, admitting she hasn’t even asked Serena about a return. “I don’t ask those questions. I think we always hit the ball because that’s who we are…but if she comes back, I’m sure she’ll let you all know.” As for her own comeback, the elder Williams sister didn’t hold back as she discussed the struggles she had to overcome.

Venus Williams gets candid about what she went through

Venus Williams can’t help but be grateful. The return, she confessed on Sunday, is “very special for me to come back and play tennis. I think it’s a surprise for the fans, a surprise in general.” Every syllable pulses with gratitude and fresh ambition. “In this last year, I’ve been through a lot physically as well. So, to come back and be able to play, and hopefully enjoy myself, is a great opportunity. So, I’m very grateful to the tournament for the wild card.”

There’s something contagious about her quiet determination. But the past year wasn’t just a sabbatical. Venus opened up in SELF Magazine about a private marathon against uterine fibroids. Her toughest foe wasn’t wearing tennis whites, but hiding in the shadows.

She underwent surgery in July 2024, a choice as brave as any on-court comeback. She revealed, “My health journey was very scary. You know, this time a year ago I was preparing to go to surgery. There was no way for me to play tennis or play the U.S. Open, or those things weren’t even on my mind. I was just trying to get healthy.” Raw, honest, and deeply human—her spirit is unbreakable.

Now, Venus Williams is back, her love for tennis shining brighter than ever. She’s ready to put on a show in Washington—will she dazzle us again against Peyton Stearns? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!