Venus Williams Returns to Court at DC Open After Yearlong Hiatus

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Venus Williams has accepted a wild-card invitation to compete in the upcoming DC Open, marking her first tournament since March 2024. The seven-time Grand Slam champion, now 45, has not played in an official match for over a year.

The DC Open, a joint ATP and WTA 500 event, will take place from July 21-27. Williams expressed her excitement in a statement, saying, “There’s something truly special about D.C.: the energy, the fans, the history. This city has always shown me so much love, and I can’t wait to compete there again.”

Williams last participated in the Miami Open in 2024, where she was eliminated in the first round. In February, she was announced as a wild-card entry for the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, but plans changed and she did not compete there.

Mark Ein, chairman of the Mubadala Citi DC Open, shared his enthusiasm for Williams’s return, saying, “She has inspired people around the world with her accomplishments on the court and her visionary impact off the court. I know how much it means to our D.C. fans and community to be able to watch her compete in person this summer.”

Williams’s last appearances in Grand Slam tournaments were in 2023, where she exited in the first round at Wimbledon after injuring her knee and later faced elimination at the US Open.

Throughout her illustrious career, Williams secured seven Grand Slam singles titles between 2000 and 2008, including five prestigious Wimbledon championships. She is also noted for her 14 Grand Slam doubles titles alongside her sister, Serena Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam winner herself.

Despite her struggles in recent years, including a diagnosis of Sjögren’s syndrome in 2011, which can cause fatigue and joint pain, Williams remains a prominent figure in the tennis community.