"Why Not?" - Legendary Venus Williams Speaks Forward of Citi Open Return

By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Sunday July 20, 2025

Venus Williams, 45, has quite a lot of causes to maneuver past skilled tennis and benefit from the various inventive and entrepreneurial alternatives at the moment are accessible to her. However she couldn’t resist the pull to check herself in opposition to the sports activities’ elite not less than another time this week on the Mubadala Citi Open in Washington, D.C.

Williams, who was granted a wild card into the principle draw and can face American Peyton Stearns in her first match for the reason that 2024 Miami Open, explains her resolution to play as follows: “Why not?”

The American icon spoke to the media in a pre-tournament press convention on Sunday and doled out knowledge at a speedy clip.

“It is unbelievable,” she stated, beaming from the rostrum, as she was requested what it felt wish to encourage America’s subsequent technology of expertise. “Truly, that was not what I believed would occur in my life as a teenager. I wished to play the sport, be a champion. I liked the sport a lot, I did not notice that it will be a lot greater than myself, and seeing these younger ladies doing constructive issues with their life, successful tournaments, inspiring the following technology too. It is like I may have by no means imagined that.”

She completed the declaration with a really Venus sentence:

“It is like icing on the cake, cherries on high, with the nuts and all of the fixings. You understand, it is lovely.”

Did she miss tennis? Is that why she’s returning this week? Not essentially.

“I am not an individual that misses so much,” she stated. “I’ve a lot I am doing off of the courtroom that saved me so busy that I do not know if I had time to overlook something, however I do know that after I went to Wimbledon this 12 months, I used to be there for a day, and it was so lovely and thrilling, and I remembered all of the instances that I had, after all, the adrenaline, all these issues, I believe simply the pure enjoyable of enjoying the sport, the enjoyable of the problem, overcoming – once you play, it’s important to overcome so many challenges, your opponents, the situations, quite a lot of instances it’s important to overcome your self.

“These issues are very thrilling. So I believe possibly simply the problem of all of it.”

Williams could wish to catch a wild card on the US Open, however as she stated quite a few instances throughout her press convention, she prefers to maintain her playing cards tight to her vest.

“I am simply right here for now, and who is aware of, possibly there’s extra,” she stated. “Like I stated, I maintain my playing cards shut, however in the meanwhile I am targeted simply on this, and I have not performed in a 12 months. There is no doubt I can play tennis, however clearly, coming again to play matches, it takes time to get within the swing of issues.”

Which takes us to our subsequent query. Can she be efficient on the tennis courtroom, at her age, after so many well being points? Williams has not received a match since 2023 in Cincinnati, and she or he has received simply six of 26 matches for the reason that begin of 2021.

Not that it actually issues to followers who simply wish to catch a glimpse of this legend up shut and private, however Williams feels she has what it takes to play successful tennis.

“I undoubtedly really feel I will play effectively. I am nonetheless the identical participant. I hit massive,” she stated with a smile. “That is my model. So it is about hitting massive and truly placing it in. So this might be my effort. Put it within the courtroom. That is my primary aim.

Extra necessary, is being part of the sport that she loves, and persevering with to fly the flag for girls’s tennis. Keep in mind that Venus performed a pivotal function in garnering equal prize cash for girls at Wimbledon practically twenty years in the past. She’s been championing the ladies’s sport ever since, and she or he’s not able to cease – not less than not but.

“I all the time felt an enormous accountability in the direction of selling tennis and in addition selling ladies’s sports activities. I believe that this technology cannot overlook that girls, we nonetheless have heaps to struggle for and having an instance to set is so necessary.

“And naturally, I am in love with tennis, so to have the chance, to have this platform, to advertise the sport, even now, is a good alternative.”