MASON, Ohio — Venus Williams’ return to professional tennis will not just be a one-tournament visit: She was awarded a wild-card entry for the Cincinnati Open.
The 45-year-old Williams is participating in her first event in more than a year at the DC Open and won first-round matches in both singles and doubles.
Her 6-3, 6-4 victory over 23-year-old Peyton Stearns made Williams the second-oldest woman to win a tour-level singles match. Martina Navratilova was 47 when she picked up her last singles victory in 2004.
Williams has won seven Grand Slam singles titles — five at Wimbledon and two at the U.S. Open — plus 14 more in doubles with her sister Serena and two in mixed doubles.
She’ll play Magdalena Frech of Poland in Washington.
The Cincinnati Open begins on Aug. 5 and is a hard-court tuneup for the U.S. Open.
Caty McNally, the only player to take a set off champion Iga Swiatek at Wimbledon, also was given a wild card for Cincinnati.
