Venus Williams made a triumphant return to singles tennis on Tuesday after a 16-month hiatus, defeating fellow American Peyton Stearns 6-3, 6-4 to reach the second round of the WTA and ATP DC Open.

Venus Williams shocked everyone by beating Peyton Stearns in the first match of her comeback in Washington D.C.

Congratulating on that historic moment, rising American star Coco Gauff took to X after and offered a simple but heartfelt salute: “venus 👑” Williams revealed that she was in a very struggling headspace leading up to the tournament.

SportsLine tennis expert Blake Von Hagen reveals his 2025 Mubadala Citi DC Open picks for Tuesday's women's first-round match between Peyton Stearns and Venus Williams

Venus Williams made a triumphant return to professional tennis at the Mubadala Citi DC Open! Tournament Director Daniel Vallverdu demonstrated proper racket grips and said young players should focus on building a love for the game!

Kevin Durant attended Venus Williams and Hailey Baptiste's doubles match at the 2025 Mubadala Citi DC Open. On Monday afternoon, Venus Williams played her first professional tennis match in over a year. Williams teamed up with Hailey Baptiste in doubles at the 2025 Mubadala Citi DC Open.

Speaking on the latest episode of his Served podcast, former world No.1 Andy Roddick gave his full backing to Venus Williams as she accepts a wild card into the DC Open at age 45, marking her first match since the 2024 Miami Open.