Venus Williams receives surprise support from $300M-worth NBA star Kevin Durant during her exciting comeback at Citi DC Open

Venus Williams made a winning start to her tennis comeback, as she dominated the court alongside doubles partner Hailey Baptiste at the Mubadala Citi DC Open. In the crowd to watch her work her magic was NBA star Kevin Durant.

Williams, who dominated the court alongside Serena Williams in the early 2000s, is largely considered to be one of the greatest women's singles players of all-time. She's won seven singles and 14 doubles Grand Slam titles. However, the American has been out of action since she was dealt an opening round exit at the Miami Open last year.

Recently, Venus Williams made her competitive return to tennis as she accepted a wild card for the Citi DC Open. On Tuesday, the 45-year-old took to court alongside Hailey Baptiste, with the pair beating opponents Eugenie Bouchard and Clervie Ngounoue 6-3, 6-1. In the crowd, basketball legend Kevin Durant, who is valued at $300 million by Celebrity Net Worth, was present to cheer for the American.

Kevin Durant currently plays for the Houston Rockets in the NBA. Over the course of his career, the 36-year-old has won two NBA Championships and four Olympic gold medals.

Venus Williams reflects on returning to tennis at the Citi DC Open

Williams at the Mubadala Citi DC Open 2025 (Image Source: Getty)

For Venus Williams, her outing at the Citi DC Open marks the first time she has been in action in over 16-months. Speaking about making her return to tennis in Washington, the 45-year-old gushed about the city and its community, telling media,

“I am so excited to be here in DC. Playing here is like playing at home. I have an older sister who lives here, a cousin who lives here. I mean, lots of cousins, a niece, my great nephew, on and on and on. So, all my family are here, all my friends are here, the community here that supports me so much. It's like playing at home. I've been coming to DC for a long time.”

She went on to add that she had a ‘love affair’ with the city, saying,

“I see a lot of people like this gentleman back here who said I first met you when you were 13 and I remember my first time coming here, I was about 13 years old. So definitely a love affair with DC and also a great opportunity to play in the US which I know the American players aren't afforded as much and also this is very special for me to come back and play tennis.”

Venus Williams will begin her singles campaign at the Citi DC Open in the coming days as she takes on World No.35 Peyton Stearns. If she wins the match, Williams will be the oldest woman to achieve this feat since Martina Navratilova in 2004.

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Edited by Riddhi Acharya