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When Venus Williams’ final forehand sailed long on Thursday night, ending her run at the Mubadala Citi DC Open, the crowd inside the tournament’s main stadium rose to their feet in a standing ovation. Although it was a 6-2 6-2 loss to world No. 24 Magdalena Frech in the second round, the seven-time Grand Slam champion soaked in the moment with a smile, a twirl, and a wave more often seen after victories than defeats.
Limitless 🤍 pic.twitter.com/LD0GVsmt9d
— Venus Williams (@Venuseswilliams) July 24, 2025
This tournament marked Williams’ return to singles competition after more than a year away from the sport. And while her campaign ended earlier than hoped, simply stepping back on court was a triumph in itself, both for the 45-year-old icon and for the fans who had waited so long to see her play again.
Williams had opened her campaign with a remarkable victory over world No. 35 Peyton Stearns on Tuesday, making her the oldest woman to claim a WTA tour-level singles win since Martina Navratilova in 2004, who was 47 at the time. It was Venus’ first singles victory since August 2023 at the Cincinnati Open, the tournament that she’ll return to this year as a wildcard.
In addition to her singles outings in Washington, she also competed — and won — in doubles. Altogether, Williams took part in four matches over four days, a demanding stretch that may have taken a toll.
“I feel like I ran out of gas today, unfortunately,” she admitted after the match. “I tried to find the energy, and I didn’t find it.”
The last time Williams managed to win back-to-back singles matches was nearly five years ago, at the Cincinnati Open in August 2019. That run saw her reach the quarterfinals after three straight wins, before falling to Madison Keys.
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