Venus Williams is back on the court and proving she still has what it takes to win. At 45 years old, she made a triumphant return to singles play after a long break. Her first match in 16 months was a success, showing she hasn't lost her touch.

Williams teamed up with Hailey Baptiste, who is much younger at 23, to win their doubles match. They beat Eugenie Bouchard and Clervie Ngounoue in straight sets. The next day, Williams pulled off an even bigger surprise by defeating Peyton Stearns, who is ranked 35th in the world. This win was a big deal because it's been almost two years since Williams won a singles match.

This victory is special for another reason. It's the first time since 2016 that Williams has won both singles and doubles matches in the same tournament. She also became the oldest woman to win a tour-level match since 2004, when Martina Navratilova was 47.

Williams' career has had its ups and downs. She wasn't officially retired, but she wasn't active either. She took time off to deal with health issues and is now feeling much better. She said, \"It's just nice to be able to play. Where I am at this year is so much different where I was at last year. It's night and day, being able to be here and prepare for the tournament as opposed to preparing for surgery a year ago. \"

Her next matches will be tougher. She'll face Magdalena Fręch in the singles round of 16 and Taylor Townsend and Zhang Shuai in the doubles quarterfinals. Williams is also looking ahead to the US Open, where she'll play mixed doubles with Reilly Opelka.

WTA

Venus Williams: Back and Better Than Ever at 45

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