tennis
Williams wins with 45 and self -irony: “Always at the doctor”
She has already listed the WTA tour as “inactive”, but Venus Williams plays tennis again at a professional level. She wins on the tour at the age of 45. Only one player was ever older.
Venus Williams celebrated her victory as the second oldest player in the history of profit tennis with plenty of self -irony. For the first time since August 2023, the 45-year-old won a single on the WTA tour and then joked her motivation for the remarkable comeback.
“I just had to come back for the insurance company. I have to get my additional services back, so I started training,” said the American after the 6: 3, 6: 4 over the 22 -year -old Peyton Stearns. “I’m always with the doctor, so I need this insurance.”
Currently not listed in the world rankings
Only Martina Navratilova, who won a match in 2004 at the age of 47, was older during a win on the WTA tour. Until a week ago, Williams from the WTA was still listed as “inactive”, and it is currently no longer managed in the world rankings. Last summer, the former number one in the world had to be operated on the uterus and had to struggle with injuries again and again. Now she has completed her first single match for 16 months.
In a moody interview on the pitch, Williams spoke about the special challenges for returning at that age. In addition, she also confirmed her engagement to the 37 -year -old actor Andrea Preti, who was sitting in the stands.
Williams about fiancee: “Have never seen me play”
“He has never seen me play,” she said to the enthusiasm of the spectators. “He encouraged me. I just wanted to let it run out and chill so often. Do you actually know how hard it is to play tennis? You don’t know how much work you put in. It is a 9-to-5 job, except that you run, weight, die and repeat the next day.”
Williams is one of the best tennis professionals in history. In her career for more than 30 years, she won 7 Grand Slam titles in singles, plus 14 in doubles with her younger sister Serena Williams and two in mixed. In addition, she is four times Olympic champion.
Possible start at the US Open
The day before her individual, she also won in doubles alongside Hailey Baptiste and given a successful comeback on the tour. “My queen,” wrote the former world ranking Naomi Osaka after winning X with the emoji of a crown. “Venus, what a champion,” congratulates Tennis legend Billie Jean King in an extra recorded video. “You played wonderfully, fantastic.”
In Washington, Williams now meets the Polish Magdalena cheeky at number five. For the US Open in August, she and her compatriot Reilly Opelka reported at least for the mixed tournament and was recently flirted with a possible start in singles, for which she would need a wildcard.
“There are no limits for excellence. It’s about what is going on in your head and how much you can invest,” said Williams after their first victory. “If you work mentally, physically and emotionally, you can deliver results. It’s not about how often you like. It’s not about how often you are sick or injured. If you believe and work on it, there is an opportunity.”
dpa
Source: Stern
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