Venus Williams just came back from a 16-month break from professional tennis. But she didn’t return because she missed playing — rather, she missed her health insurance. “I had to come back for the insurance,” Williams, 45, said this week after beating Peyton Stearns — 22 years her junior — at the Mubadala Citi DC Open in Washington, D.C.

Williams could not overcome 27-year-old Magdalena Frech, 6-2, 6-2, in the second round of the tournament on Thursday, July 24. Williams has not won back-to-back matches since 2019. Venus Williams and Hailey Baptiste won their first-round match in doubles play on Monday, but the duo fell short of reaching the third round.

Venus Williams' inspiring run at the 2025 Citi DC Open ended Thursday. The legendary tennis player lost to No. 5 seed Magdalena Frech in straight sets, 6-2, 6-2, in the round of 16. Frech will face No. 3 seed Elena Rybakina after defeating Williams in their first career head-to-head matchup.