When Venus Williams walked onto the court at the 2025 Citi Open, the tennis world was watching with a mix of nostalgia and disbelief. After more than a year away from competitive p

Playing against No. 2 seeds Taylor Townsend and Zhang Shuai, the American duo made it a tight contest but ultimately fell just short 4-6 6-3 6-10 to the second-seeded pair. In the first set, Williams and Baptiste recovered from an early break down - but lost their serve again - and that turned out to be costly in the opener.

Venus Williams just made WTA history again. At 45, she became the oldest player in over 20 years to win a singles match on tour

Thanks to advancements in medical science, most tennis players have been able to extend the duration of their careers.

From a crowd-pleasing doubles return for Venus Williams and Hailey Baptiste to Victoria Mboko’s continued surge, here’s what you might’ve missed on Day 1 in Washington.

With her fiancé, Italian actor Andrea Preti, in the stands, the seven-time grand slam champion beat a rival half her age in the WTA event

Here's where the seven-time Grand Slam champion ranks among the oldest players to win a WTA-level singles match.