This was not a one-stop hello-and-farewell appearance for the 45-year-old Venus Williams, who had been away from the tour for 16 months before showing up in Washington and winning once each in singles and doubles.

Venus Williams just came back from a 16-month break from professional tennis. But she didn’t return because she missed playing — rather, she missed her health insurance. “I had to come back for the insurance,” Williams, 45, said this week after beating Peyton Stearns — 22 years her junior — at the Mubadala Citi DC Open in Washington, D.C.

Venus Williams returned to tennis this week, winning her first tour-level match in two years. She says she returned to the court, in part, to keep her health insurance. “I had to come back for the insurance because they informed me earlier this year that I’m on COBRA!

MASON, Ohio — Venus Williams’ return to professional tennis will not just be a one-tournament visit: She was awarded a wild-card entry for the Cincinnati Open. The 45-year-old Williams is participating in her first event in more than a year at the DC Open and won first-round matches in both singles and doubles.

Venus Williams has a lot to celebrate. The 45-year-old tennis great Venus Williams revealed she is engaged to actor Andrea Preti on July 22 after playing her first singles match in more than a year. Williams bested fellow American Peyton Stearns 6-3,

The 45-year-old, who lost in the second round Thursday at the DC Open in her return to tennis, has never looked happier after a loss.

SportsLine tennis expert Blake Von Hagen reveals his 2025 Mubadala Citi DC Open picks for Thursday's women's second-round match between Magdalena Frech and Venus Williams