"I had to come back for the insurance" - Venus Williams amusingly reveals real reason behind her Citi DC Open comeback after stunning 1R win

Venus Williams has pulled off a stunning win to mark her comeback at the 2025 Citi DC Open. Following her victory, the American legend made an amusing revelation about the reason why she made her return to the tour.

After all the drama surrounding her receiving a wildcard to compete at the WTA 500 event, Williams proved her doubters wrong by claiming an impressive 6-3, 6-4 win over fellow American Peyton Stearns in her opening singles match. Despite spending over a year on the sidelines, the 45-year-old became the oldest woman to win a WTA singles match since a 47-year-old Martina Navratilova won her first-round match at the 2004 Wimbledon Championships.

In her post-match interview, Venus Williams humorously admitted that she was forced to return to professional tennis in order to continue enjoying insurance benefits. The former World No. 1 bemoaned her constant visits to the doctor as she joked that she really needed the insurance.

"I had to come back for the insurance, because they informed me this year that I’m on Cobra. So it’s like, I got to get my benefits on. Started training. You guys know what it's like. And I'm always at the doctor so I need this insurance," she said.

Following her impressive win over Peyton Stearns, Venus Williams will lock horns with Magdalena French in the second round of the Citi DC Open. The seven-time Grand Slam champion will also continue her doubles campaign with partner Hailey Baptiste, taking on Taylor Townsend and Zhang Shuai in the quarterfinals of the WTA 500 event.

Venus Williams and Father Richard recall one match that 7-time Grand Slam champion "should have won"

Edited by Urvi Mehra