After 16 months away from professional tennis, Venus Williams faced the harsh reality that comeback dreams don’t always match up with on-court execution. The seven-time Grand Slam champion’s return to the 2025 Citi DC Open started with promise. Still, it ended with a sobering defeat that left her opponent emotional about facing a living legend.
How Did Magdalena Fręch React to Defeating Venus Williams?
Williams’ return to competitive tennis captured attention from fans and media worldwide. The 45-year-old American had been absent from the tour for 16 months, with her last appearance coming at the 2024 Miami Open.
That lengthy break didn’t seem to hurt her initial performance. Williams showed flashes of her vintage form in her first-round match against fellow American Peyton Stearns at the WTA 500 event in Washington.
She claimed the opening set 6-3, and even when Stearns grabbed a 3-1 lead in the second set, Williams fought back to win 6-4 and advance to the next round.
The victory made Williams the oldest player since Martina Navratilova to win a tour-level match. However, her momentum couldn’t carry over to the second round, where fifth seed Magdalena Fręch delivered a convincing 6-2, 6-2 defeat.
The Polish player controlled the match from start to finish, committing just 10 unforced errors and hitting nine winners against Williams’ 32 errors.
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Despite her commanding performance, Fręch couldn’t hide her emotions after the match. The 27-year-old admitted that facing Williams was overwhelming and called the American tennis icon a “superstar.” She also expressed amazement at Williams’ longevity in the sport.
“Yeah, for sure. Thank you for supporting me even few people, I think Polish people. I know she is a superstar, she’s like got here so yeah it was very emotional for me to handle this match. It’s really amazing. I can’t imagine myself in 17 years on the court, no chance,” she said in her post-match interview.
Magdalena Frech after beating Venus Williams in Washington
“She’s a superstar. It was very emotional for me to handle this match. It’s really amazing. I can’t imagine myself on the court in 17 years. No chance.” 😂
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) July 25, 2025
What Did Venus Williams Say About Her Return to Tennis?
Following her first-round victory over Stearns, Williams clarified that her return wasn’t about silencing critics or proving doubters wrong. Instead, she emphasized that her motivation came from within and her personal desire to compete.
“No, because I’m not here for anyone else except for me, and I also have nothing to prove. Zip, zero. I’m here for me because I want to be here. And proving anyone wrong or thinking about anyone has never gotten me a win and has never gotten me a loss. No one has put in the work for me. I put in the work,” she said.
Venus Williams made it very clear in press after her win over Peyton Stearns that her return to tennis IS NOT about proving other people wrong. pic.twitter.com/UncZqPU7Hh
— TennisONE App (@TennisONEApp) July 23, 2025
Williams’ tennis journey isn’t ending with her Washington exit. She’s already secured a Wild Card entry for the 2025 Cincinnati Open, which begins on August 5. The WTA 1000 event is one of the final major tune-ups before the US Open, giving Williams another opportunity to test herself against top-level competition.
