WASHINGTON — Venus Williams took the Mubadala Citi DC Open by storm.

The 45-year-old, who lost in the second round Thursday at the DC Open in her return to tennis, has never looked happier after a loss.

Williams could not overcome 27-year-old Magdalena Frech, 6-2, 6-2, in the second round of the tournament on Thursday, July 24. Williams has not won back-to-back matches since 2019. Venus Williams and Hailey Baptiste won their first-round match in doubles play on Monday, but the duo fell short of reaching the third round.

Williams, who beat Peyton Stearns earlier in the week to become the oldest winner of a WTA Tour-level match in over 20 years, could not replicate that magic against Frech on Thursday

Venus Williams made her return to professional tennis this week after almost 16 months away from the sport - and Bernie Sanders has reacted

The comments by the tennis great draw attention to the broader crisis of health care affordability and medical debt.

Meanwhile, the average 65-year-old now needs $165,000 in after-tax dollars to cover healthcare expenses during retirement, up 5% from 2023, according to the latest data from Fidelity. While Williams’s comments were likely tongue in cheek, they do highlight how expensive and confusing navigating the healthcare system can be.

Kevin Durant attended Venus Williams and Hailey Baptiste's doubles match at the 2025 Mubadala Citi DC Open. On Monday afternoon, Venus Williams played her first professional tennis match in over a year. Williams teamed up with Hailey Baptiste in doubles at the 2025 Mubadala Citi DC Open.