"She's like a god" - Magdalena Frech topples Venus Williams as 45-year-old legend bows out in Washington return
WTA
No.5 seed Magdalena Frech was the favourite to see off Venus Williams but it didn't stop people dreaming that it could be the continuation of a brilliant run at the DC Open in Washington.
The 27-year-old though put heed to the 45-year-olds plan as she toppled her 6-2, 6-2 in the second round to set up a meeting with Elena Rybakina in the Quarter-Finals.
Williams became the oldest player to win a WTA Tour match since 2004 when she sealed her victory over Peyton Stearns on Tuesday. But Frech on the otherhand did not end up overawed by the situation perhaps unlike Stearns who committed 41 unforced errors in losing 6-3, 6-4 earlier this week.
Frech who often is the spoiler proved to be so again with her rock steady play a recipe for success as she only made 10 unforced errors in the whole match to nine winners. While Williams made 32 unforced errors and double faulted five times. It closes the chapter on Williams return to the sport until next week.
She also played doubles this week but ended up losing out to Taylor Townsend and Zhang Shuai in a match-deciding tie-break. Frech now moves on to her first Quarter-Final of the season having reached the last eight previously in Wuhan last October.
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She'll bid for a third consecutive match win which she hasn't claimed since then either albeit a fired up third seed Elena Rybakina awaits. Albeit perhaps the leading solace will be that she also has to play doubles in the so-called ER Squared tandem with Emma Raducanu also so she is playing double duty.
Given that Frech won pretty comfortably as well she will hope she is the fresher of the two. She seemed overawed though post win about seeing off the legend of the sport. She called her a god and a superstar.
"She's a super star, she's like a god here, so it was very emotional for me to handle this match," Frech said. "I can't even imagine myself in 17 years to still on the court -- no chance!
"It was really a great match and a great honor to play her."
"I won a lot of points from the first serve, and I really tried to move her on the could -- play different directions all the time, some drop shots, slice," Frech said. "I think I played well from the tactical side, and I'm really happy I'm in the quarterfinals."
A lot to build on for Venus
But while the run ends here for Williams, it is onto Cincinnati in two weeks with the 45-year-old receiving a wildcard for the tournament likely leading the same result when it comes to the US Open.
"Oh, I had so much fun. Definitely not the result I wanted, but still a learning experience. The part about sport [and] life is that you never stop learning," Williams said.
"I got to play a lot of matches here and that definitely was a plus. The fans in DC are just epic. I couldn't have been happier with my first week back. I feel like I ran out of gas today, unfortunately. I tried to find the energy, and I didn't find it."
"There are so many learnings from here. I know exactly what I need to work on, where I can improve," she concluded.
"The good news is I'm always in control of the point. The important part is to put the ball in."
While not a victory, Williams has been winning this week in proving the doubters wrong and now moves on to fight again. Still playing at the top level at an age many would be deep into retirement, a true one of a kind player.
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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