July 25, (THEWILL) — Venus Williams’ remarkable comeback to professional tennis after 16 months away ended in the Round of 16 at the Citi Open in Washington, D.C., as Poland’s Magdalena Fręch defeated the 45-year-old American 6-2, 6-2 on Thursday night.
The seven-time Grand Slam champion had captured attention earlier in the week with victories in both singles and doubles, becoming the oldest woman to win a WTA Tour match since Martina Navratilova’s triumph at age 47 in 2004.
Williams started strongly against the world number 35, holding serve in the opening games before errors crept into her performance.
The turning point came after four games when Williams handed Fręch her first service break, netting a forehand before sending an easy short ball wide whilst charging the net.
Williams then lost the next four games consecutively, struggling with serve consistency and failing to create opportunities against Fręch’s steady baseline game.
The Polish player employed a tactical approach of allowing Williams to make errors rather than forcing winners, a strategy that proved effective as Williams accumulated over 30 unforced errors across the 16-game match.
Despite the defeat, Williams showed she retains considerable ability with her racket, though mobility appeared more limited.
“I appreciate it so much because I know what it takes,” said Navratilova in a Thursday interview, praising Williams’ achievement of winning matches after such an extended absence.
The former world number one suggested that defeating world number 35 Peyton Stearns after 16 months without competition might surpass even winning at age 45, drawing parallels to her own experience of playing occasional singles to improve her doubles performance.
Williams’ Washington appearance signals broader plans rather than a farewell tour.
She has received a wild card for the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati, the primary US Open warm-up tournament, and will partner Reilly Opelka in mixed doubles at Flushing Meadows.
Her service motion has been simplified since her peak years, and her groundstrokes are more compact, though they still found court space effectively against Stearns earlier in the week.
The capacity crowd at the tennis centre that Arthur Ashe helped establish gave Williams a standing ovation as she departed the court.
After saving one match point, Fręch took victory when Williams sent a final forehand into the net.
Williams responded by sitting on her courtside bench with a broad smile, raising her hands to acknowledge the crowd’s appreciation before leaving the court with her immediate plans known only to herself.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
