Venus Williams, 45, becomes oldest winner since Navratilova

Venus Williams defeated Peyton Stearns at the Washington Open to become the second-oldest woman to win a singles match on the WTA Tour.

In the first round, Williams, 45, defeated fellow American Stearns, who is 22 years her junior, 6-3 6-4.

Since Martina Navratilova, 47, in 2004, Williams is the oldest woman to win a singles match on tour.

When asked if she enjoyed disproving other people, she responded, “No, because I’m just here for myself.”

I don’t have anything to support my claim. Zip. Zero .

“I want to be here, so I’m here for myself.” Never have I won or lost by disproving anyone or thinking about anyone else has never been my thing.

Williams last won a singles match in August of 2023, winning 14 Grand Slams with sister Serena.

Williams never claimed to have retired, but the WTA listed her as “inactive” after 16 months.

She made her doubles debut on Monday, defeating fellow compatriot Hailey Baptiste and Eugenie Bouchard 6-3 6-1 in the final 16.

By the time Stearns was born in 2001, Williams, a former world no. 1, had won four Grand Slam titles.

She said, “She played some ball tonight.”

I honestly didn’t expect too much from her because she was really moving. Her serves were “on fire.”