Venus Williams, winner of seven singles Grand Slam tennis titles, made a victorious comeback in the first round of the Mubadala Citi Open in Washington DC after being granted a wildcard entry.
The tournament is one of the main lead-up tournaments to the US Open, the fourth and final grand slam of the year. Williams defeated fellow American Peyton Stearns in straight sets, 6-3 6-4.
In doing so, Williams became the oldest woman to win a match on the women’s tennis tour since Martina Navratilova in 2004.
Williams is 22 years senior to Stearns, the 35th ranked women’s player in the world. To put it further in perspective, the average age of the current women’s top ten is 25. In tennis terms, Williams is a whole generation older than the current crop of top players.
Stearns would have been a tough opponent for anyone, having been ranked as high as 28 earlier this year after a strong clay court season. She is widely considered a challenging opponent.
The previous day, Williams opened her tournament with a doubles win with compatriot Hayley Baptiste.
Her first round wins vindicate the tournament’s decision to grant her a wildcard, usually reserved for up-and-coming players whose ranking alone will not grant them entry into the main draw.
Among all possible wildcard options, she is also a drawcard. In her prime Williams won 49 singles titles in total and 22 doubles title, many with sister Serena.
Williams’ feat yesterday is even more remarkable given her ongoing battle with Sjögren’s syndrome, which she credits with prematurely ending her career. Sjögren’s syndrome is an autoimmune illness that disproportionately affects women – in fact, nine of ten people diagnosed with Sjogren’s are women. Through its impact on the endocrine system, symptoms include fatigue, joint pains and muscle aches. For Williams, the early signs were fatigue and shortness of breath.
Williams now actively raises awareness of the illness, speaks of her slow diagnosis and how she manages it day-to-day.
Williams is not the only current or former top player to face chronic health issues. Compatriot Danielle Collins, the former world number seven, has been open about her struggles with endometriosis, which she discovered after collapsing in pain during a professional match.
While Williams is keeping mum on whether she will feature in any more singles tournaments, the US Open this week announced that she will partner Riley Opelka in the new star-studded mixed doubles format that is garnering much attention. The tournament will mark 25 years since her first US Open singles win.
Whether or not Williams wins her second round match against Poland’s Magdalena Frech in Washington DC, her first round win alone is a victory for women over 40 and chronic illness sufferers the world over.
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