MASON, Ohio — Venus Williams is making headlines with her return to professional tennis, and it’s not just a fleeting appearance: on Wednesday, she received a coveted wild-card entry for the upcoming Cincinnati Open next month.
At 45 years old, Williams is making her mark in her first tournament in over a year at this week’s DC Open, where she impressively clinched victories in both singles and doubles matches during the first round.
Her triumph against 23-year-old Peyton Stearns, with a score of 6-3, 6-4 on Tuesday night, positioned Williams as the second-oldest woman to achieve a tour-level singles win—only behind Martina Navratilova, who was 47 during her last singles victory in 2004.
Williams boasts a remarkable record of seven Grand Slam singles titles, claiming five at Wimbledon and two at the U.S. Open, in addition to 14 doubles titles alongside her sister Serena and two in mixed doubles.
Next up for Williams is a match against Poland’s Magdalena Frech on Thursday in Washington.
The Cincinnati Open kicks off on August 5, serving as a critical hard-court preparation for the U.S. Open.
Additionally, Caty McNally, renowned for being the only player to take a set off champion Iga Swiatek at Wimbledon, also received a wild card for the Cincinnati tournament on Wednesday.
