Venus Williams hilariously admitted that health insurance was one of the driving forces behind her return to the WTA Tour. After making history as the oldest woman to win a WTA singles match since 2004, the 45-year-old legend candidly revealed that her return to the tour had a lot to do with securing medical benefits, especially after being told she was on COBRA.
Venus Williams Returned to the Tour After 16-Month Hiatus
Williams’ comeback at the Mubadala Citi DC Open in Washington this week marked her first singles victory in nearly two years. The win made her the oldest tour-level match-winner since Martina Navratilova triumphed at Wimbledon in 2004 at age 47.
The seven-time Major winner returned to competition at the Mubadala Citi DC Open after a 16-month break. Her comeback, delayed by injury setbacks, was initially planned for Indian Wells earlier this year, but a last-minute withdrawal extended her absence.
Now back on the circuit, Williams made an appearance in both doubles and singles. She teamed up with compatriot Hailey Baptiste to win their doubles opener against fellow wild cards Eugenie Bouchard and Clervie Ngounoue and then followed that up with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Peyton Stearns in singles to notch her 819th tour-level win. That singles victory also marked her first since defeating Veronika Kudermetova at the 2023 Cincinnati Open.
It’s like she never left 😮💨@Venuseswilliams defeats Stearns 6-3, 6-4 to reach the second round in the United States capital.#MubadalaCitiDCOpen pic.twitter.com/r38pH63jCt
— wta (@WTA) July 23, 2025
After the match, Williams delivered a candid quip in her post-match interview: “I had to come back for the insurance because they informed me earlier this year I’m on COBRA,” Williams said with a laugh. “So I was like, I got to get my benefits on, started training.”
Venus Williams after becoming the oldest WTA match winner since 2004:
“I had to come back for the insurance, because they informed me this year that I’m on cobra. So it’s like, I got to get my benefits on” 😭😭😭😭
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) July 23, 2025
COBRA Coverage and the Cost of Staying Off Tour
Her reference to COBRA (Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act) highlights a critical aspect of post-employment healthcare in the U.S. The federal law allows individuals to continue their employer-sponsored health insurance after leaving their job, but often at steep costs since the individual must pay the full premium.
For Williams, a part-time tour presence meant she risked falling off the WTA’s group coverage. “I’m always at the doctor, so I need this insurance,” she said, referencing her medical needs after undergoing surgery last year to treat uterine fibroids.
Williams will now take on fifth seed Magdalena Fręch in the second round. In doubles, she and Baptiste will take on second seeds Taylor Townsend/Zhang Shuai in the quarterfinals.
