After a 16-month hiatus from professional tennis, Venus Williams returned to competition at the 2025 Citi DC Open with a statement victory. Her fiancé, Andrea Preti, was there to witness her triumphant comeback and couldn’t contain his excitement on social media.
Williams’s first-round victory over Peyton Stearns marked her first singles win since defeating Veronika Kudermetova 6-4, 7-5 in the opening round of the 2023 Cincinnati Open. The former World No. 1 had been absent from singles competition since her first-round loss to Diana Shnaider at the 2024 Miami Open.
How Did Andrea Preti Celebrate Venus Williams’s Return to Victory?
Williams received a Wild Card entry into the main draw of the 2025 Citi DC Open, her first professional tournament in Washington, D.C., in over a year. She made the most of the opportunity, defeating Stearns 6-3, 6-4 in one hour and 37 minutes to advance to the second round.
It’s like she never left 😮💨@Venuseswilliams defeats Stearns 6-3, 6-4 to reach the second round in the United States capital.#MubadalaCitiDCOpen pic.twitter.com/r38pH63jCt
— wta (@WTA) July 23, 2025
Following Williams’s victory, Preti took to social media to share his pride in her comeback performance. He posted several Instagram stories celebrating her win, repeatedly highlighting her now-viral response to reporters. When asked about her decision to return to professional tennis at age 45, the seven-time Grand Slam champion simply said, “Why not?”
“WHY NOT? 🤍” Preti captioned one Instagram story.
“🐐 SO PROUD,” he added in another post.
What Role Did Preti Play in Williams’s Decision to Return?
During her post-match on-court interview following her victory over Stearns, Williams revealed Preti’s crucial role in her comeback decision. The tennis legend admitted there were moments when she considered permanently stepping away from the demanding world of professional tennis.
“My fiancé is here, and he really encouraged me to keep playing. There were so many times where I just wanted to coast and kind of chill. Do you know how hard it is to play tennis?” Williams said.
Williams opened up about professional tennis’s physical and mental toll, emphasizing the relentless training schedule that few fans truly understand. She credited Preti with pushing her through the demanding preparation process that made her comeback possible.
“You guys don’t know how much work goes into this, like it’s 9 to 5 except you’re running the whole time. Lifting weights and just like dying and then you repeat it the next day. So he encouraged me to get through this and it’s wonderful to be here. He’s never seen me play,” she added.
The match against Stearns marked the first time Preti had witnessed Williams compete in person, making the victory even more meaningful for the couple.
Williams now faces fifth seed Magdalena Fręch in the tournament’s second round. The two players have never met on the WTA Tour, setting up an intriguing matchup. The winner will advance to the quarterfinals to face either third seed Elena Rybakina or Wild Card Victoria Mboko.
Beyond her singles campaign, Williams is also competing in the doubles event at the WTA 500 hard-court tournament. Partnering with compatriot Hailey Baptiste, the duo advanced to the quarterfinals after defeating Eugenie Bouchard and Clervie Ngounoue 6-3, 6-1 in the first round. They’ll next face second-seeded Taylor Townsend and Zhang Shuai for a semifinal spot.