Venus Williams' run at the Washington Open has ended. The 45-year-old recorded two wins, one in singles against Peyton Stearns, 23, and one in doubles with Halley Baptiste. However, she lost her quarter-final match in doubles, and fell in round of 16 in singles against 27-year-old Polish player Magdalena Frech, World No. 24: 6-2, 6-2.
Williams admitted it was "not the result I wanted but I got to play a lot of matches, definitely a plus. I couldn't be happier. I ran out of gas today unfortunately... sorry to have fell short. But I know I can play better and I know I will play better."
And while Williams has been playing less than sporadically the past couple of years (she was dropped from the world ranking as she spent more than 12 months (18 months) without playing in the WTA Tour), she has received a wild card invitation for the upcoming Cincinnati Open, taking place between August 5-18, 2025, and she confirmed she will be there.
In fact, Williams used the chance to announce that she was engaged with Italian actor Andrea Preti, a news that delighted fans. "My fiancé is here and he really encouraged me to keep playing", she said. "He encouraged me to get through this and it's wonderful to be here. He's never seen me play."