Venus Williams Wins Singles Match, Receives Cincinnati Open Wild Card

Venus Williams, at 45 years old, is making a remarkable return to professional tennis, having recently won a singles match at the DC Open, becoming the second-oldest woman to win a WTA singles match since Martina Navratilova in 2004. Despite bowing out of the DC Open doubles event, she received a wild card entry into the Cincinnati Open, a key hard-court tournament leading up to the US Open, where she is also set to compete in mixed doubles. Williams, a seven-time Grand Slam singles champion, will face Polish fifth seed Magdalena Frech in the next round of the DC Open. Alongside Williams, Caty McNally, who recently returned from elbow surgery and was the only player to take a set off Wimbledon champion Iga Swiatek, was also granted a wild card for Cincinnati. The Cincinnati Open begins on August 5, offering Williams a platform to continue her comeback ahead of the US Open. Both players are viewed as significant contenders and fan favorites as they return to competitive play in Mason, Ohio.