In October 2024, Venus Williams made it clear that she was not done with tennis yet, and she is keen to make a comeback on the Tour. But when and where? “At this point, it’s about picking and choosing places I want to be,” she said during that time. Throughout her 31-year-long career, she won 49 titles (singles), including seven Grand Slam triumphs. She was last seen in action at the 2024 Miami Open, where she went down to Diana Shnaider in the first round by 3-6, 2-6. That was the last time she was seen taking part in a competitive match. However, sixteen months later, Williams is now all set to make a comeback on the Tour.

Venus Williams has accepted a wildcard at the 2025 Mubadala Citi DC Open, and this will be the first time that she will be making an appearance at this tournament since 2022. She is going to face her compatriot, Peyton Stearns, in the first round. But before the start of that match, let’s first take a glimpse of what she did during this 16-month break. Her 2024 Miami Open campaign ended on March 19. A few months later, she was spotted joining the likes of her younger sister, Serena Williams, and Maria Sharapova in a custom strapless Tom Ford gown embellished with round mirrored panels at the Met Gala.

A few days later, she was seen as one of the nine female athletes to feature in a new campaign by Mattel. Venus Williams was one of the nine women in Barbie’s new lineup. In June, both Serena and Venus Williams made their appearances at the Gucci Spring Show in Milan. Venus Williams was seen in a cropped white shirt paired with an elongated skirt, red leather coat, and a black Gucci purse. Following that, Williams made a trip to the Amalfi Coast in Italy along with her boyfriend, Andrea Preti.

After that, in August, she was seen preparing herself to make a return to the tennis court for a mixed doubles exhibition match at the 2024 US Open. Later in that month, Venus Williams starred on the cover of Perfect Magazine. She loves ruling the fashion world as much as she wants to do it on tennis courts. A month after that, she turned heads with her photoshoot for Harper’s Bazaar. On September 10, Williams released her book, titled ‘Strive.’ Seeing his, Serena Williams’ husband, Alexis Ohanian shared a picture of himself with the book on his IG stories, with the caption, “@Venuswilliams with another bestseller.“ Williams later re-posted his story with the caption, “Thanks bro! 💞💞💞.”

In 2024, she even appeared at the Lacoste Spring-Summer Snow in a vibrant yellow knitted outfit, and following that, a few months later, she yet again joined Maria Sharapova at the Fashion Awards 2024 in London. She started the New Year with a vacation in the Bahamas with her boyfriend and then shared a few glimpses of her training session in a lavender outfit. In February, there was a rumor of her making a comeback to the Tour at the Indian Wells. However, later on, she denied a wildcard entry in that tournament. She was then attending an event in Denmark. 

During this year’s Miami Open, Venus Williams was seen training on the Miami Open courts, and even the Tunisian tennis star, Ons Jabeur, was spotted along with her. While addressing all the retirement claims at that time, she said, “I really don’t have a plan for the first time in my life. As an athlete and a player, there’s a whole plan—I’m going to play this tournament and play these tournaments so I can be ready for that tournament. And now, it’s like, I love playing; I’m going to play every day, and if I feel ready to play, then I’ll play.“

In April, she officially dropped out of the WTA Rankings for the first time in 30 years, and then in May, she was yet again seen attending the Met Gala with her sister, Serena Williams. In June, both these legendary sisters announced a podcast of their own, which is set to be released in August this year on X Originals.

However, talking about her struggles during this phase, she revealed that her long absence from the Tour wasn’t just about having rest, but it was more due to a terrifying health crisis that literally derailed her plans last year. In an interview with NBC News Daily on July 3, Venus Williams spoke about her decades-long battle with fibroids and adenomyosis. “My symptoms were extreme pain. You know, getting so much in pain that maybe you throw up. Or you can’t get off the ground.” Adenomyosis, a lesser-known but equally brutal condition where uterine tissue grows into the uterus wall, only deepened her suffering.

She revealed that many had then urged her towards a hysterectomy as the only solution. Explaining all of that, she said, “I’ve never been so sad in my life.” Last year, she discovered Dr. Taraneh Shirazian at NYU Langone Health Center for Fibroid Care, and for the first time, she received a full diagnosis. In July 2024, she underwent a successful myomectomy that removed her fibroids and preserved her uterus. Now, coming back to her good days, what did she say after making a return to the Tour, though?

What really pushed Venus Williams to make this incredible comeback?

Talking about her love for the game, no matter how far she was away from competitive action, her love and passion for the sport reflected through her work. For example, during the 2025 French Open, she was even spotted taking up a new role, analyzing and commentating during the match for TNT Sports. During that time, when she was asked if she had now made up her mind to switch to a mic from a racket in her hand, Venus Williams said that she’s still open to returning to the court when the time feels right.

As things stand, the time has arrived, and she couldn’t have asked for a better venue to kickstart her comeback journey. Talking about her participation at the Mubadala Citi DC Open, she said, “There’s something truly special about D.C.: the energy, the fans, the history. This city has always shown me so much love, and I can’t wait to compete there again.”

What made her return to the sport after a 16-month gap, though? In reply, Venus Williams said, “This time, I had been hitting the ball. And of course I love the game and the hard courts; it’s my favorite surface, what I feel comfortable on. So, all those different factors. As a young person, I wanted to play the game, be a champion. I loved the game so much, I didn’t realize that it would be so much bigger than myself.” All she now wants is to have fun and live in the moment, instead of putting too much pressure on herself. What are your thoughts on Venus Williams’ comeback?