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Venus Williams spilled that the secret behind her Citi DC Open return was that she never got out of shape and practice, and never had to take advice from former quarterback, Tom Brady. Williams made her return at the Citi Open after a long hiatus, entering as a wildcard and securing a first-round win against Peyton Stearns.
Venus Williams' injury at the 2023 Australian Open marred the rest of her hard-court and clay season that year. She consistently struggled with injuries in the following tournaments, even at the Grand Slams, and ended the season at No. 412. She expressed her intention to return in 2024, played in Indian Wells and Miami, but succumbed to her opponents in the opening rounds.
Denying retirement speculations, she made an entry as a wildcard at the 2025 Washington Open, recording her first win in months against Stearns but losing to Magdalena Frech in the second round. In the doubles, she and her partner Hailey Baptiste reached the quarterfinals but fell to Taylor Townsend and Zhang Shuai.
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In a recent interview, Venus Williams was asked about competing with the right mindset and body at 45, and whether she sought advice from Tom Brady. Dismissing the advice part, she revealed she never went out of shape, and the daily grind.
"I never got out of shape, so you'd have to talk to someone who let themself go. (Laughter) That's not my thing. I stayed in shape. Even if I wasn't playing tennis, I was always in the gym. So I think the only difference now is I think I'm just tighter, but I have always been a very tight individual anyway, so my muscles are even tighter, which maybe is good or maybe is bad."
She added:
"But physically, I feel pretty much the same, like I don't have major injuries that are like killing me or anything like that. When you play on tour, something comes up, trust me. You have no idea what goes on for players to get out on the court. Something happens. You're trying to fix things." (ASAP Sports)
Williams boasts five Wimbledon and two US Open titles in her wall of fame.
Venus Williams clarified that her win against Peyton Stearns was not to silence her doubters
Venus Williams recorded her win in the Citi Open first round and became the oldest woman to do so in a WTA singles match in two decades. Following the victory, she was asked whether it was directed toward her doubters. Williams bluntly said that she has no one to please but herself.
"I'm not here for anyone else except for me, and I also 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."
The 45-year-old added:
"No one has put in the work for me. I put in the work. So it doesn't matter what anyone says. It doesn't stop the work that I have put in. It doesn't stop my belief. "
Venus Williams held the No. 1 rank in the WTA for 11 weeks and also added an Olympic gold medal to her resume from the 2000 Games.
