Venus Williams Teases ‘Maybe There’s More’ to Her Tennis Career After First Win in 2 Years: ‘Who Knows?’

Venus Williams is back! But for how long?

“Who knows?” Williams, 45, teased while doing interviews after winning her first match in two years on Monday, July 21 at the DC Open.

The doubles match, in which Williams teamed up with fellow American tennis star Hailey Baptiste, was her first competitive appearance on a tennis court in 16 months and comes after she underwent fibroids surgery last year. The seven-time Grand Slam winner last played at the 2024 Miami Open and hadn’t won a match since August 2023 when she made it to the second round of the Cincinnati Open.

Williams told Sky Sports after the match that it was “inspiring” for her to get back on the court in a competitive setting and win the match alongside the 23-year-old Baptiste, who grew up idolizing her.

“I’m just here for now, and who knows?” Williams said. “Maybe there’s more. I haven’t played in a year. There is no doubt I can play tennis. I’m still the same player. I’m a big hitter. I hit big. This is my brand.”

Speaking at a press conference later on, Williams credited Baptiste with “holding the team up” and helping the 14-time major winner and 3-time Olympic gold medalist as she regained her footing throughout the match.

Venus most famously teamed with her sister Serena Williams throughout their careers. Venus herself has won 22 doubles tournaments, teaming with Serena, 43, and others in her career.

“It’s just nice to be able to play,” Williams added. “Where I am at this year is so much different than where I was at last year. It’s night and day being able to be here and prepare for the tournament as opposed to preparing for surgery a year ago.”

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For Baptiste, Monday’s match was surreal.

“The crowd was insane from the moment we stepped out of the player’s area,” Baptiste told reporters. “You could kind of feel the buzz. And walking out onto the court, you just felt all the love.”

Baptiste said she was “very nervous” to team up with Williams, not wanting to “let her down” with a loss in her first match back. But the first-time duo quickly found a rhythm once the match began, winning in back-to-back sets, 6-3 and 6-1.

“It was just great from there,” Baptiste said with a smile, sitting next to Williams, one of her childhood idols. “For me, it was a dream come true.”

And for Williams, it was the continuation of her own. “It was so much work,” the tennis legend reflected about her comeback. “I’ve been training for months to get to this moment.” 

Williams continues her comeback Tuesday with a first-round matchup in the DC Open women’s singles tournament against 23-year-old Peyton Stearns.