<figure id="attachment_3115864" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-3115864" style="width: 1600px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-3115864" src="https://media.freemalaysiatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/3d14147a-venus-williams-2.jpg" alt="Venus Williams" width="1600" height="1000" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-3115864" class="wp-caption-text">Venus Williams became the oldest WTA singles match-winner since a 47-year-old Martina Navratilova won at Wimbledon in 2004. (AP pic)</figcaption></figure>
WASHINGTON: Venus Williams said she still has fire in her belly after the 45-year-old became the oldest player to win a WTA singles match since 2004 with her 6-3, 6-4 victory over Peyton Stearns at the Washington Open on Tuesday.
Having returned to competitive action on Monday in the women&#8217;s doubles following a 16-month absence from the game, Williams defeated world No 35 Stearns to claim her first singles win since 2023 in Cincinnati.
The seven-times Grand Slam singles champion is the oldest WTA singles match-winner since a 47-year-old Martina Navratilova won at Wimbledon in 2004.
&#8220;I think I just attacked the whole time. It&#8217;s just trying to find the right balance between going to hard and not enough,&#8221; Williams said after the opening-round win.
&#8220;It&#8217;s the same because this is what I do, but at the same time, at the time it was imperative for me to do it. Now I don&#8217;t have to do this, but I have the same fire and the same want to win.
&#8220;In some ways, I&#8217;m still getting back into that. When you do it everyday, everything is natural. Not as natural feeling now, but I hope I can get back to that.&#8221;
Williams will next face Polish fifth seed Magdalena Frech.
&#8220;I think it was a big win for me today. Like I said, it&#8217;s not easy. It won&#8217;t be easy. It&#8217;s not easy for anyone out here,&#8221; Williams said.
&#8220;So I know I&#8217;ll have to fight for every match, but I&#8217;m up for that.&#8221;
Emma Raducanu was among the big names that progressed after the 2021 US Open champion beat Ukrainian seventh seed Marta Kostyuk 7-6(4), 6-4 in her opener. The 22-year-old Briton will next face four-times Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka.
&#8220;I think it&#8217;s a great match for a lot of spectators, which is great to be a part of,&#8221; Raducanu told reporters. &#8220;She&#8217;s been playing really good tennis this year. Yeah, it will be a great test of my own game and myself.&#8221;

MatchPoint Times

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