MASON, Ohio — Venus Williams’ return to professional tennis will not just be a one-tournament visit: She was awarded a wild-card entry for the Cincinnati Open. The 45-year-old Williams is participating in her first event in more than a year at the DC Open and won first-round matches in both singles and doubles.

The only older woman to win a tour-level singles match was Martina Navratilova, whose last triumph came at 47 in 2004.

SportsLine tennis expert Blake Von Hagen reveals his 2025 Mubadala Citi DC Open picks for Thursday's women's second-round match between Magdalena Frech and Venus Williams

Fritz will be trying to replicate last year’s strong showing in this portion of the season, when he reached his first Grand Slam final at the U.S. Open.

Being Black women in a predominantly white sport, the Williams sisters have suffered racist attacks for years, but this one will shock you

Serena is 19-12 all-time against Venus, including 11 wins in majors and a 7-2 mark in Grand Slam finals. There was a stretch from 2002-03 where the Williams sisters played each other in the championship round of five straight majors, including twice at Wimbledon.