Venus Ebony Starr Williams is still that girl.

On a warm Tuesday night in the nation’s capital, the 45-year-old tennis icon stepped back onto the court at the DC Open and made history—again—becoming the second-oldest woman in history to win a tour-level singles match, The Guardian reports. And yes, Kevin Durant was in the building to witness it live.

Backed by a crowd that showed up for her, Venus took down 23-year-old Peyton Stearns—ranked No. 35 in the world—in straight sets (6-3, 6-4), flashing some of that trademark power that made her a seven-time Grand Slam singles champ. In case you’re wondering, she won four of those before her opponent was even born. Let that marinate.

From the moment she walked onto the court to the final pirouette and fist pump, it was clear—this was more than a match. This was a message.

“I wanted to play a good match,” Williams told the crowd after the win, pausing before adding with a sly grin: “And win the match.”

And that’s exactly what she did.

Let’s not gloss over the fact that this was Venus’ first singles win in nearly two years, her first singles match since March 2024, and came after recovering from surgery to remove uterine fibroids. The WTA had even listed her as “inactive” before this week.

“Each week that I was training, I was, like, ‘Oh, my God, I don’t know if I’m good enough yet,’” Venus said. “And then there would be weeks where I would leap forward. And there would be two weeks where I was, like, ‘Oh, God, it’s not happening.’”

“I’m just constantly praying for good health, so that way I could have an opportunity to play with good health,” she added. “A lot of this for me is being able to come back and try to play at a level [and] to play healthy.”

With the city out and hometown hero Kevin Durant was in the stands looking like a proud cousin, Venus served up aces at 110+ mph, sprinted across the court like it was 2001, and landed forehand winners like it was just another day at Wimbledon.

“She played some ball tonight,” Stearns said. “She was moving really well, which I wasn’t expecting too much, honestly. Her serves were just on fire.”

And let’s talk about the energy in that stadium. The moment Venus walked out, the crowd erupted. When she hit her first winner? Roars. When she stepped up for the coin toss? Cheers. And when she sealed the match with a 112mph serve on her sixth match point? Pandemonium.

Venus is now second only to the legendary Martina Navratilova, who won a match at 47 back in 2004. But what sets Venus apart is that she’s not just out here for records—she’s doing it for the love of the game, for herself, and for every Black girl who dares to dream boldly.

“It’s not easy. It won’t be easy. It’s not easy for anyone out here,” Williams said. “So I know I’ll have to fight for every match. But I’m up for that.”

And honestly, we’re up for it too. We’ll be watching, cheering, and celebrating every step of the way.

Cover photo: Venus Williams Becomes Second-Oldest Woman to Win a Tour-Level Singles Match at DC Open/Photo credit: Nick Wass/Associated Press