"I don't care if she loses": 45-year-old Venus Williams 'adds value' to DC Open says Andy Roddick amid criticism

Speaking on the latest episode of his Served podcast, former world No.1 Andy Roddick gave his full backing to Venus Williams as she accepts a wild card into the DC Open at age 45, marking her first match since the 2024 Miami Open.

“Yeah, it’s a no-brainer,” Roddick said. “I mean, if you’re Mark Ein and you own the tournament… I always say, any one-namer can probably get a wild card anytime, any place. I don’t care if Roger wanted one next week, you let them in if you’re a tournament.”

Williams, a five-time Wimbledon champion and seven-time Grand Slam winner, is set to face Peyton Stearns in her first-round match.

“This is a win for DC, having Venus around for one more week,” Roddick said. “We’re all going to be watching and saying, ‘What level will she be at?’ You know, anyone coming back after not having played for a year, it’s not easy. Especially, you know—45 turns to 46 turns to 47—it gets a little tougher every year. But it’s a no-brainer.”

Roddick acknowledged that Venus's game has evolved with time. “Venus is not someone who’s relied heavily on movement in the most recent years. Obviously she was a great mover in her prime. She’s going to come out and try to beat the crap out of the ball.”

Critics of her wild card appearance, Roddick said, are missing the point.

“I don’t care if she loses. You can say all year, ‘She shouldn’t get a wild card.’ If you’ve won five Wimbledons, seven majors, and you’re part of the most iconic tennis family in history, this is a win for the tournament and the city of Washington DC.”

Roddick's co-host Jon Wertheim asked whether Roddick would feel the same if Venus asked for a wild card at the US Open instead but he said ultimately that 'if you win seven majors, you do whatever you want' and it's different in Washington over Flushing Meadows.

“I have a feeling we’re trending towards that,” Roddick replied. “I don’t know why you play Washington all of a sudden if you don’t have the intent to play the US Open. I don’t know anything—I haven’t talked to anyone close to the situation—but it would seem like DC will lend itself to another event. And I’d say, John, if those go okay, then I don’t have much of a problem with the US Open.”

Roddick went on to elaborate on what he sees as appropriate use of wild cards. “I think wild cards should be used for a couple of things, right? You add value to a smaller event without losing credibility. If you have a seven-time major champ, you either have someone who you want to give a boost to on the way up, or a champion that is either saying goodbye and/or trying to claw back something. This qualifies under all of those things.”

“And there’s no doubt that it adds value—not only on court, but off the court. Having Venus talk about it, all of a sudden DC’s in the press cycle this week.”

Roddick pushed back against the idea that giving a wild card to a legend like Venus comes at the expense of younger players.

“Basically what we’re asking is: is she going to be better than some 15-year-old who gets a direct exemption from winning a junior tournament? She’s probably just as good as that. Absolutely. So it doesn’t offend me.”

Reflecting on his connection with the Williams sisters, Roddick shared a personal perspective.

“I always feel real kinship with the Williams sisters because they sort of started when I started, and our careers kind of mirrored each other. I love the fact that they started so unconventionally—remember, they didn’t play junior tennis, they had this brash dad, and she enters this event in Oakland, California as this sort of novelty act. And hey, she’s beating players and taking sets off Arantxa Sánchez. I love that they started unconventionally, and at least in Venus’s case—wow, is she ending unconventionally.”

He also referenced a remark from Richard Williams dating back to the early days of their careers.

“One of Richard Williams’ talking points in about 1999 was, ‘Enjoy my daughters while you can, because they have so many other interests—they’re not going to be in tennis long.’ If you told him in 2025 his older daughter would still be unretired, I think we’d all get a laugh out of that.”

And while Roddick is realistic about what Venus can still accomplish on court, he believes her presence is more than justified. “Is she going to win majors? Is she going to win an eighth major? Probably not. If she still finds any source of enjoyment and fulfilment and challenge—whatever it is—we should be happy she’s still interested in tennis and not second-guessing wild cards.”

Roddick closed by reaffirming his stance. “Wild cards are there to add value to the tournament not lose credibility. No credibility is lost when you have a five-time Wimbledon winner in your tournament. You use them to help someone on the way up, or to throw a lifeline to someone who is either on the tail end and/or coming back from something. Venus qualifies for all of them.”

As for her first-round opponent? “I hope she plays well. Peyton Stearns is not an easy draw. She’s going to have to make a lot of balls, and Peyton Stearns will be looking to extend that match and test the fitness level of someone who hasn’t played on tour in a while.”