When Venus Williams walked onto the court at the 2025 Citi Open, the tennis world was watching with a mix of nostalgia and disbelief. After more than a year away from competitive p

Playing against No. 2 seeds Taylor Townsend and Zhang Shuai, the American duo made it a tight contest but ultimately fell just short 4-6 6-3 6-10 to the second-seeded pair. In the first set, Williams and Baptiste recovered from an early break down - but lost their serve again - and that turned out to be costly in the opener.

The seven-time Grand Slam singles champion had not played a WTA Tour match since March of 2024 and had not won one since 2023.

Thanks to advancements in medical science, most tennis players have been able to extend the duration of their careers.

From a crowd-pleasing doubles return for Venus Williams and Hailey Baptiste to Victoria Mboko’s continued surge, here’s what you might’ve missed on Day 1 in Washington.

With her fiancé, Italian actor Andrea Preti, in the stands, the seven-time grand slam champion beat a rival half her age in the WTA event