After defying the adage of age in the DC Open, Venus Williams was eliminated in the second round of the doubles tournament

The younger Williams last played at the 2022 U.S. Open, which was her swan song as she revealed she was "evolving" from tennis—essentially retiring. However, Williams recently posted a video of herself hitting tennis balls on a court to social media, causing fans to wonder whether she was teasing a return to the sport in some way.

Naomi Osaka recently heaped praise on the Williams sisters. The Japanese star hailed Venus Williams for her return to tennis at the ongoing Mubadala Citi DC Open while sharing that she was hopeful that Serena Williams would soon follow suit.

MASON, Ohio — Venus Williams’ return to professional tennis will not just be a one-tournament visit: She was awarded a wild-card entry for the Cincinnati Open. The 45-year-old Williams is participating in her first event in more than a year at the DC Open and won first-round matches in both singles and doubles.

Speculation about the couple’s status has been ongoing since they stepped out in Rome together earlier this year.

Venus Williams' highly-anticipated comeback at the Citi DC Open 2025 garnered considerable attention. Competing for the first time since March 2024, she won both of her opening-round contests across singles and doubles. However, she couldn't string together back-to-back wins and was eliminated from the tournament.

Venus Williams, who made a return to professional sport after 16 months of break, also made a surprising personal announcement. After becoming the second-oldest woman to win a tour-level singles match,