Former World No. 1 and seven-time Grand Slam singles champion Venus Williams is set to return to competitive tennis later this year The 45-year-old will compete at the Citi Open in Washington DC, marking her first tournament in over 15 months.
What Venus Williams Has Said on Returning to the WTA Tour
Williams, who is listed as ‘inactive’ on the WTA website, accepted a wildcard to compete at the Citi Open, which is a major tune-up event ahead of the US Open.
“A legend returns. Venus Williams will make her first appearance in DC since 2022,” the WTA 500 event’s official X handle wrote.
A legend returns ✨ @Venuseswilliams will make her first appearance in DC since 2022!#MubadalaCitiDCOpen pic.twitter.com/lLa6LCnG7B
— Mubadala Citi DC Open (@mubadalacitidc) July 11, 2025
Williams, as per a statement released by the organizers of the event, said:
“There’s something truly special about D.C.: the energy, the fans, the history. This city has always shown me so much love, and I can’t wait to compete there again.”
Notably, the organizers of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells announced that Williams would be playing there, but later said she would not compete.
In April, Williams hinted in a video on her YouTube channel that she was open to returning to the sport. She said:
“I really don’t have a plan for the first time in my life. As an athlete and a player, there’s a whole plan [like], ‘I’m gonna play this tournament and play these tournaments so I’d be ready for that tournament.”
“Now it’s like, ‘Oh, I love playing. I’m gonna play every day.’ And if I feel ready to play, then I’ll play,” the American added.
In June, the Citi Open announced that it would be having its “strongest player field ever,” with big ticket names such as Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton, Frances Tiafoe, Jessica Pegula, Emma Raducanu, and Naomi Osaka set to feature.
How Venus Williams Fared on the Tour in the Lead-up to Her Hiatus from Tennis
In 2011, Williams announced that she had been diagnosed with Sjögren’s syndrome, an autoimmune disease, which affected her career. In the ensuing years, she continued to play in tennis tournaments sporadically.
Venus Williams’ last full season on the tour was in 2023. She began her 30th year on tour with a second-round exit at the ASB Classic in Auckland but withdrew from the Australian Open due to injury.
She returned on grass, winning a match in Birmingham, but continued to struggle with injuries. This was followed by a knee injury at Wimbledon and early losses in Montreal and the US Open. Williams ended 2023 ranked No. 412 in the world.
Her last WTA Tour match came in March 2024, when she lost in the opening round of the Miami Open to Russia’s Diana Shnaider.
