Venus Williams awoke on Tuesday and made it clear to everyone who she is: a four-time Olympic gold medalist, a 21-time Grand Slam champion in both singles and doubles, and the oldest woman to win a tour-level match since 47-year-old Martina Navratilova in 2004.
Williams secured her first singles victory since 2023, defeating world No. 35 Peyton Stearns in straight sets during the opening round of the Mubadala Citi D.C. Open on Tuesday. The final score was 6-3, 6-4.
If that wasn’t enough, Williams also kept the audience engaged with some strong humor during her post-match interview.
In one amusing (yet deeply recognizable) instance, she quipped that she needed to go back to the court to enjoy the advantages of professional competition—literally.
I had to return for the insurance because they told me earlier this year that I’m on COBRA,” she said. “So it’s like, I need to get my benefits back. I started training.
And in another major crack, she humorously addressed the audience about the challenges of tennis as a profession, which requiresa lot more running compared to most other jobs.
“My fiancé really supported me in continuing to play,” Williams said.partner, actor Andrea Preti.There were numerous moments when I just wanted to take it easy and relax. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to play tennis? You don’t realize how much effort this takes. It’s like a 9-to-5 job, but you’re constantly running. Lifting weights and feeling exhausted. And then you do it all over again the next day.
Okay, so you’re saying one of the top tennis players ever (1) also deals with motivation issues and (2) is also at the mercy of the American healthcare system? She’s really just like us.
On Tuesday, the unranked Williams and her 23-year-old partner Hailey Baptiste also defeated Eugenie Bouchard from Canada and Clervie Ngounoue from the United States in the women’s doubles round of 16.
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This piece was first released onwww.si.com as Venus Williams Filled with Laughter Following Historic Victory at the D.C. Open.
