WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Renowned tennis legend Martina Navratilova expressed her initial concerns upon learning that Venus Williams had accepted a main-draw singles wild card into the Mubadala Citi DC Open. From her home in Miami, the 18-time Grand Slam champion candidly remarked, “I was thinking, 'Oh, this isn’t going to end well.’ And how wrong was I? How wrong was I?” In a remarkable turn of events, Williams, at the age of 45, not only defied expectations but also secured a decisive victory, defeating Peyton Stearns with a score of 6-3, 6-4 to advance to a second-round matchup against the No. 5 seed, Magdalena Frech.
This victory made Williams the second-oldest woman in history to win a tour-level singles match, following in the footsteps of Navratilova, who was 47 years old during her first-round win at Wimbledon in 2004. “What can you say -- because it’s unbelievable,” Navratilova exclaimed. “She beat a top-ranked No. 35 player. I mean, hats off.”
After a successful doubles match on Monday and her impressive singles win on Tuesday night, Williams faced a tough challenge in her doubles match. Partnering with Hailey Baptiste, the duo fell to the No. 2 seeds, Taylor Townsend and Zheng Shuai, in a tightly contested match that ended with a score of 6-4, 3-6, 10-6. The match was a thrilling spectacle for the packed audience at John Harris Court, with Townsend's lunging volley sealing the victory on their second match point.
Navratilova shared her intention to watch Williams’ singles match but had to forgo it due to dinner reservations in Miami with her wife, Julia Lemigova. Despite missing the live action, Navratilova kept herself updated by following the scores on her phone. “Obviously, we both got some good DNA,” she noted, referring to the athletic prowess they both possess. “The fast-twitch is still fast-twitching. Understanding the game, the geometry. Knowing how to play. All the mental stuff.”
Navratilova was particularly impressed by Williams’ fitness level, which had been a concern during her previous outings in Miami and Indian Wells last year. Williams’ battle with Sjögren’s syndrome, a chronic autoimmune disease that affects strength and endurance, adds a layer of inspiration to her remarkable comeback.
Two decades ago, Navratilova was still competing in doubles and accepted a wild card into Wimbledon’s main singles draw. After a decade-long hiatus from singles, she achieved a win against Catalina Castano before exiting in the second round against Gisela Dulko. Following her breakthrough victory, Williams spoke about the importance of love in her game. “I think more than anything, it’s just about love, right?” she expressed. “If you have enough love for it, then you’ll put in the effort, and then you’ll find that little extra little bit at the end because I love it so much.”
Unaware of Williams’ sentiments, Navratilova echoed a similar sentiment. “It just shows how much Venus loves the game,” she emphasized. “Hope, perseverance, not quitting. Follow your path, just follow your path. If you’re on the path that you want to be on, that you love, you have everything to gain and nothing to lose, no matter what the result is, because you’re loving the path.”
Navratilova concluded with a hopeful note, wishing that “Venus loves all of it, getting on the court. I hope she keeps going.”
