Venus Williams Makes Triumphant Return to Tennis with Doubles Victory

Venus Williams marked her comeback to tennis after more than a year away from the sport with a resounding victory in women's doubles at the Washington Open. At 45 years old, the celebrated athlete teamed up with fellow American Hailey Baptiste, and together, they defeated opponents Eugenie Bouchard and Clervie Ngounoue with a decisive score of 6-3, 6-1 in the round of 16.

Having not participated in a competitive match for over 16 months, Williams was delighted to make her return. Her last official appearance on the WTA Tour was at the Miami Open in March of the previous year. After the match, she described the experience as "inspiring" and spoke about the challenges of forming a solid team bond with Baptiste, emphasizing their quick adaptation. Williams expressed her enduring passion for the game, stating, "I love this game and still hitting it big."

Reflecting on her partnership with the 23-year-old Baptiste, Williams humorously remarked that their collaboration might have been better if they had started playing together earlier instead of her teaming up with her sister, Serena. The duo has a remarkable record, having won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles together. Williams expressed her confidence in their synergy as a team, noting, "I could see that we were going to be a good team. We just should have started playing earlier, years ago, right? I think Serena was just in the way.