Andy Roddick Defends Venus Williams on Taking the Wildcard at Washington

Venus Williams' Washington campaign was short-lived, as she lost to Poland's Magdalena Frech in straight sets in the Round of 16.

Andy Roddick Defends Venus Williams on Taking the Wildcard at Washington

Venus Williams (via Mubadala Citi DC Open), Andy Roddick (via Served with Andy Roddick)

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Seven-time Grand Slam singles champion Venus Williams made her long-awaited return to the WTA tour at the Mubadala Citi DC Open after a 16-month hiatus. Former World No. 1 Williams had not played an official WTA singles match since March 2024 at the Miami Open, missing time while undergoing surgery to remove uterine fibroids.

The 45-year-old tennis legend had an impressive comeback match, defeating her compatriot Peyton Stearns, 22 years her junior, in straight sets on Tuesday night in Washington, D.C. With this win, Williams became the oldest player to win a tour-level singles match since Martina Navratilova, who won her opening round match at Wimbledon in 2004 at the age of 47.

However, Williams’ Washington campaign was short-lived, as she lost to Poland’s Magdalena Frech in straight sets in the next round. This defeat came a day after Williams and Hailey Baptiste lost in the second round of the doubles event to Taylor Townsend and Zhang Shuai, who edged them in a match-deciding tiebreak. Speaking on his podcast about Williams receiving a wildcard, Andy Roddick defended the decision:

I don’t care if she loses. You can say all year that she shouldn’t get a wild card. But when you’ve won five Wimbledon titles, seven Grand Slams, and you’re part of the most iconic family in tennis history, it’s a win for the tournament and for the city of Washington, D.C. I always say any star can probably get a wild card anytime, anywhere. If Roger Federer asks for a wild card next week, and you’re the tournament director, you give it to him.

Roddick further pushed back against the notion that giving a wild card to a legend like Williams comes at the expense of younger players:

Basically what we’re asking is: is she going to be better than some 15-year-old who gets a direct exemption from winning a junior tournament? She’s probably just as good as that. Absolutely. So it doesn’t offend me.

Williams’ return evokes not only a sense of nostalgia and joy among fans but also serves as a huge inspiration for players to continue playing their sport into their 40s. Meanwhile, her opponent Frech will meet Elena Rybakina in the quarterfinals of the Washington Open.

Magdalena Frech heaps praise on Venus Williams

27-year-old Magdalena Frech played a Williams sister for the first time in her career and went all praise for the American tennis legend after the match. The Polish No. 2 defeated Venus Williams 6-2, 6-2 to advance to her first quarterfinal of the season. Williams made 32 errors and double-faulted five times, while Frech made just 10 errors. In her on-court interview at the Mubadala Citi DC Open, Frech commented:

She’s a super star, she’s like a god here, so it was very emotional for me to handle this match. I can’t even imagine myself in 17 years to still on the court — no chance! It was really a great match and a great honor to play her.

Venus Williams (2)
Venus Williams (Image via Served with Andy Roddick)

Frech’s upcoming opponent, Elena Rybakina, has a 2-0 head-to-head record over her. This marks Rybakina’s sixth quarterfinal of the season. With the elimination of top seeds Jessica Pegula and Emma Navarro, Rybakina is the highest-seeded player remaining in the draw.

The former World No. 3 will be bidding for her second title of the season, after her triumph at Strasbourg. The other quarterfinalists in this tournament include Emma Raducanu, Maria Sakkari, Anna Kalinskaya, Clara Tauson, Leylah Fernandez, and Taylor Townsend.

Also Read: Venus Williams Reveals Her Signature Wave and Twirl Celebration is Inspired by Anne Hathaway’s ‘The Princess Diaries’