45-Year-Old Venus Williams Beats Peyton Stearns To Become Oldest WTA Winner

American tennis player, Venus Williams made a winning return to singles action at the Washington Open, becoming the second-oldest woman ever to win a WTA Tour-level singles match.

The 45-year-old American defeated world number 35 Peyton Stearns in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4, in the first round.

Peyton Stearns, also from the U.S., is 22 years younger than Williams.

This win makes Williams the oldest woman to win a WTA singles match since Martina Navratilova, who did it at age 47 back in 2004.

Venus Williams, a seven-time Grand Slam singles champion, entered the tournament as a wildcard. It was her first singles match since March 2024.

When asked whether the win felt like proving doubters wrong, she responded firmly: “I have nothing to prove. Zip. Zero. I’m here for me because I want to be here. And proving anyone wrong or thinking about anyone has never gotten me a win and has never gotten me a loss.”

Her last singles victory came nearly a year ago, in August 2023.

Although she never officially retired, the WTA had listed her as inactive after more than a year off the tour.

She had already made a winning return in doubles a day earlier, partnering with fellow American Hailey Baptiste to defeat Eugenie Bouchard and Clervie Ngounoue 6-3, 6-1.

Williams, a former world number one, had already won four Grand Slam singles titles before Stearns was even born in 2001.

After their match, Peyton Stearns admitted she was surprised by Williams’ sharp form.

Stearns said, “She played some ball tonight. She was moving really well, which I wasn’t expecting too much, honestly. Her serves were just on fire.”

Up next,  Venus Williams will face Poland’s Magdalena Frech, the tournament’s fifth seed, in the second round.

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