“I was thinking, ‘This isn’t going to end well'” – Martina Navratilova delighted to be ‘wrong’ about Venus Williams after her Citi DC Open win

Martina Navratilova recently recalled her concern for Venus Williams after it was confirmed that the 45-year-old would take part in the 2025 Mubadala Citi DC Open. Navratilova also delightedly admitted that she was wrong to feel concerned for Williams, with the American tennis icon winning both her singles and doubles first-round matches at the combined ATP and WTA 500 hardcourt event in Washington.

With her first-round victory against Peyton Stearns, Williams became the second-oldest woman to triumph in a tour-level singles clash. Navratilova herself remains the oldest to have achieved the feat by winning her first-round match at the 2004 Wimbledon Championships. At the time, the Czech-American was 47.

In the aftermath of Venus Williams’ win over Stearns, the Mubadala Citi DC Open reached out to Martina Navratilova and asked her to share her thoughts on the 45-year-old American tennis legend’s performances so far in Washington. In her response, the 68-year-old spoke up about how Williams proved her ‘wrong’.

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"I was thinking, 'Oh, this isn’t going to end well,’ And how wrong was I? How wrong was I? What can you say -- because it’s unbelievable. She beat a top-ranked (No. 35) player. I mean, hats off," Navratilova said.

The 18-time singles Grand Slam winner, who, like Williams, was a World No. 1 in both singles and doubles, went on to shed light on the similarities between herself and the 45-year-old.

"Obviously, we both got some good DNA. That the fast-twitch is still fast-twitching. Understanding the game, the geometry. Knowing how to play. All the mental stuff. We’re pretty similar that way. Focused, determined -- don’t take no for an answer," she added.

Venus Williams set to grace this year's Cincinnati Open as well; American awarded another wildcard entry

The 2025 Mubadala Citi DC Open awarded Venus Williams a wildcard entry, and in the aftermath of the legend's win over Stearns in Washington, the Cincinnati Open followed suit. The Cincinnati Open, a prestigious, combined ATP Masters 1000 and WTA 1000 tournament, is the biggest annual event in tennis in the buildup to the US Open.

Williams' doubles campaign in the American capital though, came to an end in the quarterfinals. The 45-year-old, alongside compatriot Hailey Baptiste, registered a dominant victory in the first round of matches in the category. However, next, in the quarterfinals, the all-American duo was downed by Taylor Townsend and Zhang Shuai.

In women's singles, Venus Williams is set to lock horns with Magdalena Frech on the night of Thursday, July 24, for a place in the quarterfinals.

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Sudipto Pati

Sudipto is a Tennis journalist at Sportskeeda holding a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. He has an experience of 3+ years across the market research, travel, health, lifestyle and sports sectors.

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