MUBADALA CITI DC OPEN

July 22, 2025

Venus Williams

Press Conference

V. WILLIAMS/P. Stearns

6-3, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Venus, congratulations. How are you feeling right now?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Amazing (smiling). You know, it's the first step, and the first match is always extremely difficult. It's hard to describe how difficult it is to play a first match after so much time off.

So going into the match, I know I have the ability to win, but it's all about actually winning. So this is the best result, to play a good match and win. I'm here with my friends, family, people I love, and the fans, too, who I love and they love me, so this has been just a beautiful night.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Venus, you have obviously won so much in your career, but you looked so happy out there. You talked a little bit just about that kind of work it takes to get back after a long time off. Is that why it meant more? What was the meaning of the win for you?

VENUS WILLIAMS: A lot. I mean, the meaning of this win, there is a lot of work that goes into this kind of preparation. I think each week that I was training, I was, like, Oh, my God, I don't know if I'm good enough yet.

And then there would be weeks where I would leap forward, and there would be two weeks where I was, like, Oh, God, it's not happening. Even the week leading up, Oh, my gosh, I need to improve so much more. So it's all a head game.

I think more than anything, it's just about love, right? If you have enough love for it, then you'll put in the effort, and then you'll find that little extra little bit at the end because I love it so much.

Q. I think every headline is going to lead with age and where you're at doing this. But for you, what is the headline for you? What makes coming back so important? Why is it important for you?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, for me, I'm just constantly praying for good health, so that way I could have an opportunity to play with good health. I think a lot of this for me is being able to come back and try to play at a level, to play healthy, which I didn't have the opportunity to do.

So that is a headline for me (smiling).

Q. You have spoken about the message to yourself or what the headline is for yourself, but what message do you think other people might take away from seeing you out there after that time away at this stage in your life, playing as well as you did and winning a match?

VENUS WILLIAMS: There are no limits for excellence. It's all about what's in your head and how much you're able to put into it. If you put in the work mentally, physically, and emotionally, then you can have the result.

It doesn't matter how many times you fall down. Doesn't matter how many times you get sick or get hurt or whatever it is. If you continue to believe and put in the work, there is an opportunity, there is space for you.

Q. In terms of the tennis you played tonight, was there anything that impressed you or surprised you?

VENUS WILLIAMS: I think just everything in my head was going so fast. I'm a big hitter and a fast player anyway. So I think the effort for me was just to try to slow down.

I mean, I think there were times where I was just trigger-happy, too, going crazy really fast, and I sort of convinced myself to play those points, be patient, slow down.

I think it was a big win for me today. Like I said, it's not easy. It won't be easy. It's not easy for anyone out here. So I know I'll have to fight for every match, but I'm up for that.

Q. Obviously satisfaction with the win. Is there any satisfaction in proving some people wrong, or do you just not think that way?

VENUS WILLIAMS: No, because I'm not here for anyone else except for me, and I also have nothing to prove. Zip, zero. I'm here for me because I want to be here. And proving anyone wrong or thinking about anyone has never gotten me a win and has never gotten me a loss.

No one has put in the work for me. I put in the work. So it doesn't matter what anyone says. It doesn't stop the work that I have put in. It doesn't stop my belief. Even if people are saying amazing things, it still doesn't help you win.

I really just try to focus on myself and not think about anything else.

Q. You were talking in the on-court interview, other people encouraging you to stick with tennis. Were you at peace with possibly never playing a tennis match again? What would that have looked like for you?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Yeah, I was out a year, and then I'd for train for two months and two months I wouldn't. A lot of it too is I have so much going on off the court outside of tennis. So that pulls me away from being on the court.

So it was all about making space for tennis, because there are so many other things I can do and so many other things I'm interested in and so much happening in my life.

So it was about making that space, and obviously being healthy too. So those two things were, you know, getting those things to come together, all three of those things, right?

Q. Does having this match and how well you played and obviously getting the win, does it make all that work you put in feel more validated, more worth it, in any way?

VENUS WILLIAMS: It definitely would have still been worth it even if I had not gotten the win in some parallel universe that's not today (smiling).

But it's really about the effort and enjoying the process and not necessarily the win. If you can get the process right, then yes, you can get the win.

So I'm constantly obsessed with the process, obsessed with the thinking. Those are the things that make champions.

Champions falter. If you don't win the first match, it doesn't mean you shouldn't try again, you know. So I'm so happy that I got the result that I wanted, but if I had not, I would have just kept going into the next tournament.

Q. With this win, how far do you think you can go in the tournament? Do you think you can win other games, or will it be difficult?

VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, I'm just trying to figure out how many wins will it take before I'm off COBRA (smiling)? I haven't asked the WTA yet, but I gotta just keep winning until finally my insurance kicks back in, so...(smiling).

But in any case, each match is a different match. Each player is a different player. The conditions change, and more than anything, I have to bring my best me every time. If I can bring my best me, then I know that I have a real chance to come out as a real winner.

So that would be my focus each match. One match at a time at this point for me.

Q. Was the dress velvet?

VENUS WILLIAMS: No, it was not.

Q. Because it was really shimmery.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Oh, really? I think it's like a jersey sort of fabric, a jersey sort of knit.