Fans of WTA icon Venus Williams will be thrilled to learn that the former World No.1 has not hung up her racket yet, as she will be making her return to professional tennis at the 2025 DC Open.
A joint ATP and WTA 500 event, the DC Open will run from July 21-27, 2025. The prestigious event is part of the North American hard court summer series, and is one of the first lead up tournaments to the US Open.
The 45-year old has accepted a wild card entry to play singles at the event in Washington later this month. This will be Williams first official match since March 2024, when she last competed on the WTA Tour at the Miami Open. Williams fell in the first round of the WTA 1000 event, losing to Russian Diana Shnaider.
The American was announced as a wildcard entry to Indian Wells earlier this year, but would later state she was not competing at the event. The DC Open will be her first WTA tournament in 16 months, following uncertainty over whether she had quietly retired from the sport.
"There's something truly special about DC: the energy, the fans, the history," said Williams in a statement released by the DC Open organizers. "This city has always shown me so much love, and I can't wait to compete there again.
The seven-time Grand Slam singles champion last made an appearance at a Major during the 2023 US Open, where she lost to Belgian Greet Mirren in the opening round. Previously, Williams had competed at the Wimbledon Championships a few months earlier, losing to Elina Svitolina in the first round after slipping and hurting her knee during their match.
"She has inspired people around the world with her accomplishments on the court and her visionary impact off the court," said DC Open chairman Mark Ein. "I know how much it means to our DC fans and community to be able to watch her compete in person this summer."
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Venus Williams is headed to DC! 🎉
The seven-time Grand Slam singles champion is returning to action on the Hologic WTA Tour after accepting 16-month absence.
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