Venus Williams Eyes French Open Comeback at 45

Venus Williams, the iconic tennis player, has set her sights on competing at the French Open this year, despite facing a challenging return to clay courts after a five-year hiatus. At 45 years old, Williams made her comeback at the Madrid Open, where she unfortunately suffered a first-round defeat against fellow wild card Kaitlin Quevedo, losing 6-2, 6-4. This match marked her first competitive appearance on clay since 2021 and her tenth consecutive singles loss since returning to the tour after a 16-month break.

Reflecting on her performance, Williams expressed a mix of disappointment and optimism. "Yeah, I mean, to get my feet dirty, this was a great start," she told reporters, acknowledging the difficulties of returning to a surface she hasn’t played on in years. Despite her loss, she noted improvements in her movement on the clay, stating, "I felt like in the last game I started to move better on the clay. But then it was the last game. All these things take adjustments."

Williams's last competitive match on clay before the Madrid Open was at the French Open in 2021, where she has yet to secure a title despite reaching the finals in 2002. This year, she will need a wild card entry to participate at Roland Garros, which is set to begin on May 24. Williams expressed her sadness over missing another clay tournament in Rome due to prior commitments, saying, "I'm really super sad about that, actually. My husband is Italian, so we feel sad that we can't be there. So we would love to keep it going on the clay."

As she prepares for the French Open, Williams remains hopeful about her performance and the possibility of making a significant impact in the tournament. With her extensive experience and determination, fans are eager to see how she will fare in the upcoming competition.