"The Citi Open is a great DC tradition, glad to have these icons back here" - Councilmember Christina Henderson on attending Venus Williams' match & meeting Serena Williams

Rebecca Marino played spoilsport in Venus Williams' comeback as she beat the American legend in the first round of the Citi Open on Monday.

The World No. 111 from Canada was down 4-1 in the deciding set when she stepped up and won the next five games on the trot to close out the match 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 in an hour and 52 minutes. She was helped by Williams, who double faulted an unbelievable 13 times during the match.

This was the first singles match for the unranked icon since her first-round exit in August last year against Hsieh Su-wei at the Chicago Open. After Serena Williams entered the 2022 Wimbledon singles as a wildcard, Venus drew inspiration and requested for a similar process to enter mixed doubles alongside Andy Murray's brother Jamie Murray. They won their first match but bowed out in the second.

As Venus stepped on the court on Monday, Washington, D.C. Councilmember Christina Henderson marked her attendance at the Rock Creek Park Tennis Center. She met Serena and fellow politicians and expressed her elation, calling the Citi Open "a great tradition."

"Oh, what a night! Met up with @Janeese4DC & @CMBrookePinto to attend @CitiOpen in Ward 4 to watch @Venuseswilliams play, and had the honor to meet @serenawilliams. The #CitiOpen is a great DC tradition. Glad to have these icons back here," Henderson said.

Venus will next be playing as a wildcard entrant in Montreal at the National Bank Open, starting next week. Serena will also participate in the event using her protected ranking.

---

"I wish I could have pulled this match through for the crowd" - Venus Williams

Venus Williams loses her Citi Open first-round match

Venus Williams was on the sidelines for almost a year due to injury and her lack of match practice resulted in a lopsided performance at the Citi Open. Still, the spectators present and fans around the world stood by her and showed immense support.

Addressing a press conference after the match, Williams acknowledged the support of the fans and vowed to improve her game in the upcoming events.

"It's my first match. I didn't think I played well. Just a little rusty. I really put myself in good positions in the third set, too. That's just to be expected. All I can do is just play another tournament and play better. It was so much fun to play in D.C. It was nice to have the crowd behind me. I wish I could have pulled this match through for the crowd and for the tournament," Venus Williams said.