Venus Williams’ former coach Rick Macci has revealed the only reason the tennis icon is still playing as he shared his thoughts on her return to the tour.
At the WTA 500 event in Washington last month, Williams stunned Peyton Stearns 6-3, 6-4 in the opening round in what was her first match in 16 months. It was the American’s first victory since she beat Victoria Kudermetova at the 2023 Cincinnati Open almost two years earlier.
At the age of 45, Williams’ win saw her become the second-oldest woman in history to win a match on the WTA Tour after a 47-year-old Martina Navratilova in 2004.
The seven-time Grand Slam singles champion, who was competing as a wildcard, lost 6-2, 6-2 to fifth seed Magdalena Frech in the second round.
The former world No 1 also won a match with partner Hailey Baptiste in the Citi DC Open doubles event before the pair fell to eventual winners Taylor Townsend and Zhang Shuai in the quarter-finals.
Williams, who is ranked 643rd in the world after her triumph over Stearns, has been given a wildcard to play at the 2025 Cincinnati Open. She will face Jessica Bouzas Maneiro in her opening match at the WTA 1000 tournament.
Macci started coaching Venus Williams at his academy in Florida in 1991, when she was 11, and he helped develop her game until 1995. He also coached her sister, Serena.
Speaking exclusively to Tennis365, Macci weighed in on his former student’s remarkable comeback.
“First off, obviously one of my favourite students of all time,” said the American coach.
“Both her and Serena, as you saw from the movie King Richard, both like my daughters. Especially Venus, because she was a little older and I spent more time with her.
“Would I ever have thought, when she didn’t play a tournament for three and a half years and she made that debut in 1994, and beat 57 in the world and almost beat No 1, and she shocked the world by not even playing any junior tournaments or any pro tournament?
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“And then here we are at age 45 and she’s still playing — and she doesn’t even play a tournament for a year! I mean, she kinda went into pro tennis very different and she’s on her way out a little differently.
“Listen, at the end of the day, she just loves to play. I saw the same smile and enthusiasm. She won that match [against Stearns], she’s bouncing up and down like a human pogo stick. The same exact thing I saw at age 14, it was identical.
“But no, it’s great because of one reason: it’s her decision. When people wanna retire or whatever, that’s their decision. And whatever is their decision, in my opinion, is the best decision.
“Even though there are people who are gonna chime in and whatever, at the end of the day, her getting a wildcard and playing… and if you look at it, the fans were in the stands. It’s all about selling tickets and eyeballs. Let’s face it, if [Roger] Federer wanted a wildcard into the Canadian Open after not playing for a while, I think he would have gotten one.”
Asked how long he expects Williams to continue playing, Macci said: “I think as long as she’s enjoying it.
“You gotta understand, she has a different platform. People love Venus, it’s that simple. It’s not even about… she’s not gonna win the tournament and she’s not doing it for any other reason except she loves to compete.
“So, people have been asking me this question for five years and she’s still playing. So, as long as she loves it and she wants to do it, I think it’s great for the game of tennis.”
The post Venus Williams’ former coach reveals the only reason she is still playing as he makes a prediction appeared first on Tennis365.
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