Venus Williams is playing again with a clean bill of health and a different outlook

Venus Williams is at peace with where she is, both personally and professionally, ahead of the Cincinnati Open. She shared insights about her recovery from surgery, her reason for returning to the WTA Tour and potential future plans.

CINCINNATI -- Venus Williams made her professional debut on Halloween night, October 31, 1994 at the Bank of the West Classic in Oakland, just a few feet from a Rolling Stones concert.

While Mick and Keith played next door, 14-year-old Williams beat Shaun Stafford in straight sets. It was the opening chapter of a career now into its fourth decade.

“I still haven't seen The Rolling Stones,” Williams said with a laugh, thinking back to that first match. “I remember they were playing next door, and they didn't know that I was playing next door. They still don't know. So, Mick Jagger, my message to you: I was playing my first professional match next to you."

"Looking back, I don't know how I won that match because I didn't know anything. ... But it was a beautiful thing and a great start.”

That moment in Oakland marked the beginning. This summer marks a return. After 16 months away, Williams is taking her comeback tour to Cincinnati.

Relaxed, energized and grateful, she seems at peace with where she is on her journey -- both personally and professionally -- ahead of the final WTA 1000 tournament of the North American hard-court season.

Williams, who defeated Peyton Stearns in Washington, D.C. in her first match back before falling to Magdalena Frech, continues to defy expectations. Now 45, she recently posted on Instagram she's only one year removed from an "open myomectomy to remove fibroids and a large focal adenomyoma that was embedded in the muscle of my uterus."

"After my surgery I couldn't even stand up straight," the seven-time Grand Slam champion told members of the press ahead of her first-round match against Jessica Bouzas Maneiro.

Tennis was hardly even a thought at that point. The focus was on recovering. But the sport is always in the back of her mind, she said, and she took it step by step -- a half hour on the court here, a half hour there. As she began to get her footing and her form, the desire to play and compete set in.

She was also overcome with gratitude.

"I'm in a completely different space and I have a clean bill of health, thank God," she said. "I don't share a lot about what I go through. I've personally been through a lot with my health, all sorts of things you guys don't know. But what I can say is this is a super important issue because so many women deal with this, and there's zero education.

"I didn't know anything, and I consider myself a person who's at the top form of education on my health. It's just an important thing to share."

The Life Philosophy That Fuels Venus' Success

Williams has been inspiring since she turned pro in 1994 at just 14. More than 30 years later (30!), she’s still showing that achievement isn’t defined by age, circumstance, or anyone else’s idea of what’s possible.

It's something that was hammered into her head at a young age, courtesy of her parents. She was always aware of where she was, what she wanted and what she needed to do to get there.

Beyond the demanding schedule, she says what matters most is staying connected to the work and shaping a life that feels true. That’s how Williams has operated from the start, and she’s never wavered.

"At the end of the day, you have to live your life on your own terms," the two-time US Open champion said. "Your terms should be yours. It doesn't matter what anyone else says or what anyone else thinks. If you get to live life on your own terms, that's a life well-lived, and I firmly believe in that.

"And I do what I do because I want to live life the way I want to, unapologetically, with no regrets and on my terms. ... Make your terms and don't surrender."

'Winning and Losing Knows No Age'

So much of Williams' comeback has been centered around her age. (We're guilty of that, too.)

How does she feel about competing at the highest level at 45, considering professional athletes often retire well before they're 40? (And in many cases, before they're 30.)

If you've been paying attention over the past three decades, you won't be surprised to hear that she doesn't see it as a barrier.

"There's one thing that I know: You're never too young or too old to win or lose," Williams said. "Winning and losing knows no age. All that matters is that I'm prepared and ready. And the longer I play, the more I get into it, the more I train, the better I get."

What's Next?

What can we expect from Williams the rest of the year? Not even she is sure (she claims). She's choosing to stay in the moment, though she suggested the US Open will be her final tournament of 2025.

"I probably won't qualify for the [WTA Finals]," she quipped. "I won't be there. Typically, I've never played much after the US Open, so you probably won't see me after the Open."

As for next year?

"I don't think you should ever rule me out," she said.

We wouldn't dare.

US Open Mixed Doubles Format: Yay or Nay?

Speaking of the Open, Williams will be competing in the new mixed-doubles format in Flushing Meadows, teaming up with Reilly Opelka.

Played over two days (August 19 and 20) in the week leading up to the start of the main draw, the reduced 16-team field will play sets to four games with no-ad scoring, tiebreakers at six-all and 10-point match tiebreakers instead of a third set.

Williams, for one, is sold on the changes.

"I love innovation," she said. "It's fantastic. We're going to all get out there and play and see how it works. I'm not used to playing to four games, but I'm used to playing games. That's a plus."

And why play mixed doubles? In addition to it sounding fun, it's also a golden opportunity for Williams to make some history and reach yet another milestone -- one that you probably didn't consider.

"The only major final I've never been to is the US Open mixed doubles final," Williams said. "So it's kind of a priority for me to play that because it's the one thing I've never done. I've always been very close to the winner's circle of every single thing in this career I've had.

"So my goal is Reilly will carry the team. He's been informed and he's got his assignment."

Quote of the Day

"It's no secret that you get great legs and great arms from tennis, so I figured I may as well at least keep my figure." -- Venus Williams on starting to hit again after undergoing surgery

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