Archive of posts tagged Peyton Stearns

Venus Williams Bows To Bouzas Maneiro in Cincinnati Return

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By Richard Pagliaro | Thursday, August 7, 2025
Photo credit: Cincinnati Open Facebook

Racing up to the floating ball at midcourt, Venus Williams whipped a forehand drive volley into the corner. 

The 45-year-old Williams showed flashes of vintage form in her Cincinnati return.

Across the net, Jessica Bouzas Maneiro sustained a higher level throughout toppling Williams 6-4, 6-4 in today’s Cincinnati Open opener.

AGA

The 22-year-old Spaniard delivered a four-game run at the end of the first set and won the final three games of the match in an 87-minute triumph.

It ended with fans—and Bouzas Maneiro herself—sending former No. 1 Williams off with a standing ovation after a solid performance.

Bouzas Maneiro moved on to a second-round clash vs. Washington, DC champion Leylah Fernandez. 

Meanwhile, Williams, who launched her comeback upsetting compatriot Peyton Stearns in Washington, DC, is 1-2 in her comeback and has shown enough quality to earn a US Open wild card if she wants one. 

The seven-time Grand Slam champion, who has a US Open mixed doubles wild card with good friend Reilly Opelka, is living proof tennis is truly a lifetime sport. It would be a fitting way for the USTA to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Williams maiden US Open title with a singles wild card—as well as an opportunity for Flushing Meadows fans to share the love with the four-time Olympic gold-medal champion.

Today, you may have expected Bouzas Maneiro to come out playing crosscourt corner to corner to challenge the veteran’s movement. Through the first six games she didn’t do that—instead opting to try to tie the long-limbed Williams up with deep drives down the middle. That tact helped Bouzas Maneiro fire out to a 4-1 lead as Williams struggled to support her second serve.

Williams won only 8 of 29 second-serve points as Bouzas Maneiro broke six times, but when the five-time Wimbledon winner made her first serve—especially on the deuce court—she was playing first-strike tennis. 

Contesting her 11th Cincinnati Open, Williams showed her strong will and a stinging slider serve staging a three-game rally to level at 4-all. 

All that good work dissipated when Williams sailed a backhand and Bouzas Maneiro earned her third break of the set for a 5-4 lead.

Still, Williams competed with deep desire. When the Spaniard tested the 45-year-old legend’s legs with a drop shot, Williams easily ran it down and swatted a forehand winner down the line for break point in the 10th game.

On the verge of breaking back, Williams’ rust showed. She netted three three forehands in the next four points. On Bouzas Maneiro’s second set point, Williams netted a backhand as the Spaniard sealed the 41-minute opening set. 

Bouzas Maneiro exploited a double fault breaking to start the second set and slid a serve down the T to go up 2-0. 

At that point, it looked like the match could slip away. Williams had other ideas breaking back in the fourth game to level 2-all. 

Though she lacks the fast first step and eye-popping closing speed of her prime, when Williams gets her body weight behind the ball she can still hammer deep drives. She showed that skill smacking a forehand drive down the line then catching a break when the Spaniard tapped an easy smash into net to break for 3-all. A Williams biting body serve helped her go up 4-3.

The Bouzas Maneiro forehand down the line was a weapon when she needed it most. The world No. 51 used that shot to help her hold for 4-all. A clean Bouzas Maneiro forehand return winner down the line sealed the crucial break for 5-4. 

Dropping to her knees, Aga Radwanska style, Bouzas Maneiro warded off a crackling return to open the 10th game. On her second match point, Bouzas Maneiro’s slider serve down the T closed Williams’ Cincinnati return a full 13 years after she reached the semifinals losing to Li Na.

Venus Williams had hilarious explanation for playing pro tennis at 45

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Cincinnati

Venus Williams is keeping it light at the start of Cincinnati as the 45-year-old jokes she is still playing tennis because it does well for her body "figure."

As you probably know, the seven-time Grand Slam champion pleasantly surprised the tennis community when she accepted a late wildcard into the WTA 500 tournament in Washington. And the former world No. 1 made some noise in the United States capital, defeating Peyton Stearns in her first match in 16 months, for her first win since 2023. 

After a solid Washington round-of-16 outing, Williams also received a main draw wildcard into this week's WTA 1000 event in Cincinnati. In her pre-tournament presser, the American tennis icon was asked to address playing pro tennis in her mid-forties and she didn't disappoint with her answer

“It’s obviously no secret that you get great legs and great arms from playing tennis. So, I figured I’d at least keep my figure if that’s the very least we do!" the 45-year-old joked.

Williams then got serious and explained what really allowed her to play at 45

Williams may not have played much over the last couple of years. However, she always remained active, from hitting balls on the practice to doing regular gym exercises.

"I never stopped hitting the ball, even when I was away—not as intensely as you would if you were replaying playing tournaments, but still going out there. When I was on the court, I was always working on my game. I didn’t just let it all fall apart. Even if it was just a half hour, I still wanted to get something out of it," the former world No. 1 explained.

Meanwhile, in the Cincinnati first round, Williams will take on world No. 51 Jessica Bouzas Maneiro – the two have no previous meetings.

Heading into the match, Bouzas Maneiro is playing some of the tennis of her life and she is coming off a quarterfinal showing in Montreal. 

Williams probably enters the match as the underdog but there is no doubt that will put up a big fight, just as she did in Washington.

"Why Not?" – Legendary Venus Williams Speaks Ahead of Citi Open Return

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The American icon doled out wisdom and inspiration in her pre-tournament press conference at the Citi Open. America

By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Sunday July 20, 2025

Venus Williams, 45, has a lot of reasons to move beyond professional tennis and take advantage of the many creative and entrepreneurial opportunities are now available to her. But she could not resist the pull to test herself against the sports’ elite at least one more time this week at the Mubadala Citi Open in Washington, D.C.

Tennis Express

Williams, who was granted a wild card into the main draw and will face American Peyton Stearns in her first match since the 2024 Miami Open, explains her decision to play as follows: “Why not?”

The American icon spoke to the media in a pre-tournament press conference on Sunday and doled out wisdom at a rapid clip.

“It's incredible,” she said, beaming from the podium, as she was asked what it felt like to inspire America’s next generation of talent. “Actually, that was not what I thought would happen in my life as a young person. I wanted to play the game, be a champion. I loved the game so much, I didn't realize that it would be so much bigger than myself, and seeing these young women doing positive things with their life, winning tournaments, inspiring the next generation too. It's like I could have never imagined that.”

She finished the declaration with a very Venus sentence:

“It's like icing on the cake, cherries on top, with the nuts and all the fixings. You know, it's beautiful.”

Did she miss tennis? Is that why she’s returning this week? Not necessarily.

“I'm not a person that misses a lot,” she said. “I have so much I'm doing off of the court that kept me so busy that I don't know if I had time to miss anything, but I do know that when I went to Wimbledon this year, I was there for a day, and it was so beautiful and exciting, and I remembered all the times that I had, of course, the adrenaline, all those things, I think just the pure fun of playing the game, the fun of the challenge, overcoming – when you play, you have to overcome so many challenges, your opponents, the conditions, a lot of times you have to overcome yourself.

“Those things are very exciting. So I think maybe just the challenge of it all.”

Williams may want to catch a wild card at the US Open, but as she said numerous times during her press conference, she prefers to keep her cards tight to her vest.

“I'm just here for now, and who knows, maybe there's more,” she said. “Like I said, I hold my cards close, but at the moment I'm focused just on this, and I haven't played in a year. There's no doubt I can play tennis, but obviously, coming back to play matches, it takes time to get in the swing of things.”

Which takes us to our next question. Can she be effective on the tennis court, at her age, after so many health issues? Williams has not won a match since 2023 in Cincinnati, and she has won just six of 26 matches since the start of 2021.

Not that it really matters to fans who just want to catch a glimpse of this legend up close and personal, but Williams feels she has what it takes to play winning tennis.

“I definitely feel I'll play well. I'm still the same player. I hit big,” she said with a smile. “This is my brand. So it's about hitting big and actually putting it in. So this will be my effort. Put it in the court. That's my main goal.

More important, is being a part of the game that she loves, and continuing to fly the flag for women’s tennis. Remember that Venus played a pivotal role in garnering equal prize money for women at Wimbledon nearly two decades ago. She’s been championing the women’s game ever since, and she’s not ready to stop – at least not yet.

“I always felt a big responsibility towards promoting tennis and also promoting women’s sports. I think that this generation can't forget that women, we still have lots to fight for and having an example to set is so important.

“And of course, I'm in love with tennis, so to have the opportunity, to have this platform, to promote the game, even now, is a great opportunity.”