Venus Williams has started off her comeback story in style, winning her opening doubles match at the Washington Open.
Venus, who recently discussed her ‘scary’ health journey, has delighted fans and peers with her return to the sport, putting a 16-month absence to an end.
The 45-year-old and her partner, Hailey Baptiste, defeated Clervie Ngounoue and Eugenie Bouchard, who is set to retire after the Montreal Open later this month.
The American pair were simply too strong, winning six of their 13 break-point opportunities on their way to a 6-3 6-1 victory. Venus is set to compete in singles against Peyton Stearns on Tuesday afternoon.
Venus’ wildcard invitation has provided joy to many. However, it could be suggested that Venus has taken the place of someone more deserving, when considering the current rankings.
One former coach of Venus has weighed in on the discussion.
Rick Macci discusses Venus Williams’ wildcard at the Washington Open
Rick Macci played a significant role in the early development of the Williams sisters, helping to develop the burgeoning stars as they trained out of Compton, California.
While still coaching, the legendary figure remains an active presence on social media, regularly offering his thoughts and opinions on the current affairs of tennis.
Macci took to X [Twitter] on Monday afternoon, to express his thoughts regarding Venus’ wildcard at the Washington Open, suggesting the decision to offer a wildcard was likely based on commercial reasons.
He said: “People chirping the Vee does not deserve a WILDCARD into the tournament.
“Wildcards are for the tournaments to decide what sell tickets/get eyeballs. Nobody deserves a WILDCARD.
“There is no formula who gets the CARD but VEE will dive in and try Hard.“
Venus Williams could play Emma Raducanu in the doubles semi-finals
Venus and Hailey Baptiste will likely face a tough test in their next doubles round. The pair could meet number two seeds, Taylor Townsend and Shuai Zhang, in the quarter-finals.
However, if the American stars do manage to win their quarter-final match, they could face former US Open champion Emma Raducanu and former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina in the semi-final.
The British and Kazakh pairing battled through a tough encounter against Britain’s Olivia Nicholls and Slovakia’s Tereza Mihalikova, winning 2-6 7-6 11-9.
If Venus, Baptiste, Raducanu and Rybakina all make it through, we could be set for a blockbuster match in which three of the four players are Grand Slam winners.
