Venus Williams won her first professional tennis title in the last century. She was only 14. As that century turned to ours, she proved herself able to make the 21st century hers at Wimbledon. Her 20th birthday had just passed.
At 45, she is aiming for her 50th singles title and her 23rd in doubles. Only recently she advanced in draws at the Washington Open, better known to the tennis connoisseur as the Mubadala Citi Open, at least until other sponsors get their turn.
Washington is a good tennis town, even if Wimbledon’s daunting presence across the pond ensures it’s never the best. The presence at the Fitzgerald Tennis Center of the most successful American player in recent decades was a thrill, but even with her sister Serena by her side, it was hardly a surprise.
Richmond’s Arthur Ashe, a promoter of youth tennis tournaments, brought the sport to Washington with a zeal that paid off through the 1960s and 70s. A network of free public tennis courts mark his legacy, though the best players keep the private courts of Georgetown and St. Albans.
Free tennis passes are a public service, I suppose. Then again, are they not a case of subsidies interfering with a vigorous free economy? That is for sharper minds than mine to ponder, but I will note here that the ticket prices at the storied old tournament in Rock Creek Park have been soaring.
Parking has followed the ticket’s surge in price. This column insists on the old fair-and-accurate, I’d evince my own bias were I to discuss my own views on ticket pricing of sporting events reflecting our cultural decline. For that reason, let us stay on point.
An evening match several days ago at the Stadium saw Miss Williams roll over Peyton Stearns, a 23-year-old Texas gal hailing from Ohio. 7,500 seats, almost all taken, roared their support. Miss Williams hit clear winners to the same roars and cheers that mocked Miss Stearns when she put one in the net or out of bounds.
When Miss Stearns did the same, the cheers and applause were there, but subdued. That was not pleasant. Peyton Stearns is a very strong player, a rising hope among a whole cohort of excellent young players — Miss Williams’ doubles partner, Hailey Baptiste, is the same age.
Her downside is a tendency to inconsistency that, humans not being robots, is aggravated when playing on such a stage as this, against the most popular star of the tournament.
There were beautiful rallies and gorgeous strokes on both sides. Venus certainly showed she still can hit the ball from either wing, down the liner or a cross court, with astonishing velocity. Her serve is fantastic; she hit nine aces, I believe, and three or four doubles, normal for her, though I was not counting too closely. Not because of any falling-down on the job but because of how strongly she took control.
Peyton had her moments. She saved four match points in a row under tremendous pressure. Nonetheless, apart from good starts in both sets, she, who has an attacking, big-hitting game, was mostly on the defensive against a Venus on offense all the time.
Venus did not waste energy, letting missiles, not worrying about how fast and how far, but instead concentrated on building her own plan for the point. She focused on getting her shots out of reach for a clear winner, or putting it close-in to Peyton, forcing a clumsy shot out of bounds or into the net.
This is called shrewd match play.
If anyone is disconcerted by my going from Miss Williams or Miss Stearns to their given names, no problem. Free country. Still.
After 30 years, playing through injuries and debilitating ill-health, Venus Williams is the champion, and she knows it. She owes her fans, and herself, to always be the best. This is the only goal, if not always the realistic one.
This occasion is her first tournament in over a year, during which many assumed she was retiring from the tour. She herself confessed that it took much practice to get back in shape following a medical issue requiring surgery. Even then, she said, she was not sure how well she would do.
Venus bore an elegant all-black outfit paired with a white visor and shoes making for stagecraft against Miss Stearns’ solid off-white. The contrast was more than an outfit. Venus did even better than everyone hoped she would do.
I suspect — in fact I am quite sure — there will be more thrilling matches as the week advances. Miss Williams will likely be in one or more of them. She meets Magdalena Fręch in the next round. Following that she could meet either Victoria Mboko or Elena Rybakina, all of whom are marvels of fluid grace.
As Venus Williams always was and always will be, as long as she wants.
