Venus Williams returned to tour-level tennis on Tuesday, defeating Peyton Stearns 6-3, 6-4 at the DC Open and winning her first match in nearly two years.

The juicy tidbit emerged as the former world No. 1 celebrated her victory over Peyton Stearns at the DC Open, making Williams, 45, the oldest player to win a tour-level singles match since Martina Navratilova did at age 47 in 2004. Williams had not played a match in well over a year.

Venus Williams defeats world No 35 Peyton Stearns 6-3 6-4 and becomes oldest WTA match-winner since Martina Navratilova 21 years ago; The US Open is live on Sky Sports Tennis and Sky Sports+, streamin

Venus Williams beats Peyton Stearns in comeback match, reigniting debate over WTA's role in crafting generational storylines at the DC Open.

SportsLine tennis expert Blake Von Hagen reveals his 2025 Mubadala Citi DC Open picks for Tuesday's women's first-round match between Peyton Stearns and Venus Williams

At 45, Venus Williams clinched her first singles win in nearly two years at the Citi Open, defeating Peyton Stearns. Her historic triumph makes her the second-oldest woman to win a tour-level match, underlining her resilience and iconic comeback.

Venus Williams won her first match after being on hiatus for 16 months, with new doubles partner Hailey Baptiste. On Tuesday, the 45-year-old tennis star will face Peyton Stearns in singles at the D.C.