Come what may, champions always find a way to excel! The 45-year-old American superstar, Venus Williams, is a prime example of that, and she’s proving yet again why age is just a number. Playing her first match after almost 16 months, Williams got off to a winning start at the 2025 Citi Open. Before the start of this match, Williams was heard saying, “It’s just nice to be able to play. Where I am at this year is so much different from where I was last year.” There were plenty of challenges that came her way in these 31 years of her illustrious career.

Be it battling with the energy-sapping autoimmune disease (Sjogren’s syndrome), dealing with the pain from fibroids – noncancerous growths which later led to surgery, Williams overcame multiple hurdles to reach this stage. Her love for the sport is almost unparalleled. What message does she think others might take away from seeing her excel even at this age and breaking barriers? Shortly after her impressive 6-3,6-4 win over Peyton Stearns in the first round, Venus Williams spilled the beans about the same in the press conference.

She said, “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.” Venus Williams has now become the oldest player to contest a tour-level singles match since the 46-year-old Kimiko Date (2017 Tokyo). Following her impressive victory over Stearns in a 1-hour and 37-minute-long battle, she now has the chance to play yet another match.

In that same press conference, Williams added, “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.”

While doing an analysis of her performance in this match against Stearns, she went on to admit that the first match is always extremely difficult, and even more so after her time off. In this match, Venus Williams won 71% of her first serve points and 70% of her points returning second serves. Is she happy to prove people wrong after putting up such an impressive show in her comeback journey?

“No, because I’m not here for anyone else except for me. I have nothing to prove. Zip. Zero. I’m here for me because I want to be here. And proving anyone wrong or thinking about anyone has never gotten me a win and has never gotten me a loss,” replied the seven-time major champion. Next up for her will be Poland’s Magdalena Fręch. Can Williams extend her winning streak? Time will tell! But what does the tennis world have to say?

The tennis world showers praise on Venus Williams’ brilliance

After this match against Peyton Stearns, the tennis world joined hands to congratulate the tennis star on her incredible return. But amidst all these, Venus Williams was spotted highlighting how her fiancé, Andrea Preti, encouraged her to keep playing and helped her get through all the hardships with his invaluable support. With this win, Venus Williams became the second-oldest woman (after Martina Navratilova) ever to win a tour-level singles match.

Although initially, Navratilova had a queasy feeling when she heard about Venus Williams accepting the wildcard at the main draw of the singles event at the 2025 Citi Open, her performance in this match made her heap praise on the 45-year-old. Navratilova said, “What can you say — because it’s unbelievable. She beat a top-ranked [No. 35] player. I mean, hats off.” This win reflects how much Williams loves this game and also hopes that she keeps on at it.

Williams’ opponent in the match, Peyton Stearns, admitted that she was not expecting her movement to be at the level that it was during this match. “Her serves were just on fire,” Stearns added. Naomi Osaka dropped a tweet after Williams’ victory, hailing her as “My queen,” while another tennis legend, Billie Jean King, said, “Venus. What a champion! Great going tonight, you played beautifully, and good luck in your next round and beyond. And I hope I get to see you soon. Fantastic, what a champion!“

Not just Osaka, but even Taylor Townsend admitted that she commends her so much for being out there, and Frances Tiafoe hailed Venus Williams as one of the best athletes of all time. Her childhood coach, Rick Macci, revealed that she has the same smile that she had after winning her first WTA match at the age of 14 in 1994. Do you think Venus Williams can continue to provide joy to the tennis world with more such performances in this tournament?