“I don’t think you should ever rule me out” – Venus Williams keeps the door open on extending her tennis career into 2026 ahead of Cincinnati Open

August 7, 2025

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Venus Williams recently opened up about the possibility of extending her tennis career to the 2026 season ahead of the Cincinnati Open. She is currently gearing up for the upcoming hard court swing, which is slated for August 7, 2025.

Williams made a comeback to the tennis court after a span of 16 months following her Miami Open campaign in March last year. She opened her 2025 season and broke her hiatus by competing at the Citi Open, where she competed in both doubles and singles tournaments. However, the American couldn’t advance further than the second round in both the tournaments.

Now, she is all set to compete in the Cincinnati Open, which will be her second tournament after her 16-month absence. Just ahead of this campaign, during a media interaction, she addressed a question regarding her future in the game and the potential extension of her tennis career in 2026 (as quoted by tennis.com)

"I’m very much in the moment. I don’t think you should ever rule me out. That’s all I can say," said Venus Williams.

Williams will next be seen in action on August 9 in the first round of the Cincinnati Open against Jessica Bouzas Maneiro.

Venus Williams opened up about her first singles victory after 16 months

Following her comeback to the court, Venus Williams played her first singles match against Peyton Stearns on July 23, where she produced a dominant display, registering a 6-3, 6-4 win over the fellow American. After this triumph, she sat for a post-match interview, where she made her feelings known about her game, revealing that the first match is always 'difficult.'

However, she enjoyed the night, and calling it a 'beautiful' one, she reflected on her first singles match after her 16-month break, saying:

"You know, it's the first step, and the first match is always extremely difficult. It's hard to describe how difficult it is to play a first match after so much time off. So going into the match, I know I have the ability to win, but it's all about actually winning. So this is the best result, to play a good match and win. I'm here with my friends, family, people I love, and the fans, too, who I love and they love me, so this has been just a beautiful night," said Venus Williams.

Ahead of competing in her first singles match of this season, Venus Williams opened up about her signature wave, revealing that it has been inspired by Anne Hathaway's movie, 'The Princess Diaries.'

About the author

An English Honors graduate, Nancy is a journalist at Sportskeeda covering US Olympic sports. She has a total experience of 4 years, having previously worked as a Marketing Executive for BYJU’S before finding her footing at SK.

To deliver the best content, Nancy keeps herself updated by reading as much as possible about the athletes and the sport, and believes that researching and trusting credible sources is the key to reporting ethical and accurate information.

Track and Field events particularly interest Nancy, and she is a fan of Allyson Felix. While she cherished each of her victories, her favorite Olympic moment happens to be the retired athlete’s 10th medal at the Games.

Nancy believes that covering the personal lives and training sessions of the Olympic athletes, and showcasing old podcasts or interviews would help bridge the coverage gap of the sport in its off season.

When away from her keyboard, Nancy spends most of her free time reading books. She also writes poems and plans on publishing a book.

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