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WASHINGTON: There are plenty of reasons why this particular victory by Venus Williams in this particular tennis match — just one of hundreds — resonated with so many folks.
That she’s 45, for one thing. Only one woman, Martina Navratilova, ever has won a tour-level singles match while older; her last victory came at 47 in 2004.
That Williams hadn’t entered a tournament anywhere in 16 months.
That she needed surgery for uterine fibroids.
And when asked Tuesday night after beating her 23-year-old opponent, Peyton Stearns, 6-3, 6-4 at the DC Open what message others might take away from that performance and that result, Williams was quick to provide an answer.
“There are no limits for excellence. It’s all about what’s in your head and how much you’re able to put into it. If you put in the work mentally, physically, and emotionally, then you can have the result,” she said. “It doesn’t matter how many times you fall down. Doesn’t matter how many times you get sick or get hurt or whatever it is. If you continue to believe and put in the work, there is an opportunity, there is space, for you.”
Williams has been winning at tennis for decades. Her pro debut came when she was 14. Her first Grand Slam title came at Wimbledon in 2000, less than a month after her 20th birthday.
She accumulated four major singles trophies before Stearns was born and eventually wound up with seven, five at Wimbledon and two at the US Open, plus another 14 in women’s doubles — all with her sister Serena — and two in mixed doubles.
“I have so much respect for her to come back here and play, win or lose. That takes a lot of guts to step back onto court, especially with what she’s done for the sport,” said Stearns, who is ranked 35th and won NCAA singles and team titles at the University of Texas. “You have a lot behind you. You have accomplished a lot. And there is a lot of pressure on her and to kind of upkeep that at this age. So massive credit to her for that.”
There were challenges along the way for Williams, none more public than the diagnosis in 2011 of Sjögren’s syndrome, an energy-sapping auto-immune disease that can cause joint pain.
More recent was the pain from fibroids — noncancerous growths — and shortly before the DC Open, Williams said: “Where I am at this year is so much different (from) where I was at last year. It’s night and day, being able to be here and prepare for the tournament as opposed to preparing for surgery.”
As thrilled as the spectators — “Who I love, and they love me,” Williams said — were to be able to watch, and pull, for her under the lights Tuesday, other players were rather excited about it, too.
“I commend her so much for being out here,” said Taylor Townsend.
Naomi Osaka’s take: “She’s, like, the queen. There’s a royal air around her.”
“She’s one of the best athletes of all time,” Frances Tiafoe said. “Her and her sister, they’re not only great for the women’s game, not only great for women’s sports, but they are so iconic.”
Yet, there were some on social media who wondered whether it made sense for the tournament to award a wild-card entry to Williams instead of an up-and-coming player.
DC Open chairman Mark Ein said it took him about two seconds to respond “Of course” when Williams’ representative reached out in April to ask whether a spot in the field might be a possibility.
A reporter wanted to know Tuesday whether Williams took any satisfaction from proving doubters wrong.
“No, because I’m not here for anyone else except for me. And I also have nothing to prove. Zip. Zero. I’m here for me, because I want to be here,” she said. “And proving anyone wrong or thinking about anyone has never gotten me a win and has never gotten me a loss.”

GENEVA: Chloe Kelly fired home the rebound from her own penalty to net a 119th-minute winner as reigning champions England pulled off a stunning comeback to beat Italy 2-1 after extra time on Tuesday and reach the Women’s European Championship final.

England fell behind in the first half but hit back to level through Michelle Agyemang six minutes into second-half stoppage time and when Emma Severini pulled down Beth Mead in the box in extra time, Kelly grabbed the chance to decide the game.

Her first effort was saved but she was quick off the mark to rifle in the rebound and send England through to the final where they will face either Spain or Germany.

After a come-from-behind penalty shootout win over Sweden in the quarter-finals, England again flirted with disaster, but their late surge floored Italy, whose hopes of reaching a first final since 1997 were crushed.

The win propelled England into a third successive major final after their Euro 2022 success and World Cup loss to Spain the following year.

With the Italians riding a wave of confidence after a last-minute winner against Norway in their quarter-final, they defended brilliantly and attacked incisively on the break.

Their persistence paid off in the 33rd minute of a gritty semifinal when a ball from the right found its way to Barbara Bonansea, who took a touch before lashing it into the roof of the net.

England then dominated possession and created a slew of chances as the Italians rode their luck, but too often the English attackers unleashed shots from distance that were easily dealt with or flew harmlessly over the bar.

With their hopes of defending their title slowly slipping away, 19-year-old substitute Agyemang snapped up a loose ball in the box and fired home to send the game to extra time.

Agyemang almost scored again with an effort deep into the second half of the extra period, out-sprinting and out-muscling the Italian defense only to see her deft lob toward goal bounce back off the crossbar.

Sensing that they could avoid a repeat of their quarter-final penalty shootout against Sweden, England poured forward and reaped their reward when Mead was fouled in the box, but there was one more twist in the tale.

Kelly took her usual prancing run-up, but Italy keeper Laura Giuliani kept her nerve and saved, only for the England winger to score from the follow-up and seal her side’s spot in Sunday’s final in Basel.

“I just tried my best for the team. It wasn’t supposed to go like that, that penalty, but (I was) ready for the rebound and ready for any opportunity given to me wearing an England badge,” a delighted Kelly said.

England defender Lucy Bronze said they had been forced to dig deep to reach the final.

“Yeah, we don’t know if it’s the easy way it seems this tournament, but we find a way to win,” she said.

“I think it was the 96th minute and then the 118th minute ... we just ... found a way to get the goals and get the ball (in) the last minute.”

For Italy, who had defended superbly until England’s equalizer, the loss was a devastating blow.

“Obviously, going out like this hurts a lot. Having stood up to the champions should give us a lot of confidence for the future. There are no words to describe the emotions we have experienced on this journey,” coach Andrea Soncin said.

“This evening, for as hard as the girls fought, we definitely deserved a different ending. Many difficult situations to comment on. It’s sad, but I am and we are very proud.”