Eugenie Bouchard says what she thinks about Venus Williams after playing doubles against her at the Citi Open

Venus Williams returned to tennis at the Citi Open and began her campaign with a victory.

The WTA veteran has not played a professional match since March 2024 and while she is yet to make a comeback on the singles court, the American was back in action in doubles.

The seven-time Grand Slam champion teamed up with compatriot Hailey Baptiste to take on Eugenie Bouchard and Clervie Ngounoue.

The pair excelled in front of their home crowd, losing just four games on their way to the next round in the nation’s capital.

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Eugenie Bouchard thrilled to play against Venus Williams ‘one last time’ at the Citi Open

Bouchard made a bright start to her career by reaching the 2014 Wimbledon final and making semi-final appearances at the Australian Open and Roland Garros.

But since then the 31-year-old has been blighted by injuries and inconsistent form and she was unable to rediscover her form from that 2014 season.

She went on to win just one WTA Tour title, the 2014 Nuremberg Cup, and now Bouchard is set to retire from tennis at the Montreal Open in August.

But before ending her career on home soil Bouchard entered the doubles competition in Washington D.C. and one of her opponents was Venus Williams.

The pair played two singles matches against each other and they have squared off in doubles, with Williams claiming a 6-3, 6-1 victory alongside Baptiste.

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Post-match, Bouchard praised Williams and said she was thrilled to have had the chance to play the tennis legend one final time before hanging up her racket.

“To play against her one last time is fun and special. I was like kudos to you to keep kicking it,” Bouchard told reporters. “She’s 14 years older than me and still plugging away. I have nothing but respect for her. She’s such a legend.”

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Venus Williams is happy to be back on court after playing her first match since March 2024

After undergoing fibroids surgery in 2024, Williams is back on court and she could not be happier.

Williams returns to singles action against Peyton Stearns at the Citi Open on Tuesday, but entering the doubles competition gave her the opportunity to gain some match sharpness.

During her press conference, Williams credited Baptiste for her performance during their victory and is grateful to be back playing.

“After the match Hailey asked me, ‘How did that feel?’ It’s probably even harder to play the doubles first because I’m not a doubles player,” Williams said.

“So it’s great to have her to kind of hold the team up. She has had the experience. She served first because she has been playing all year and playing well. I think that helped me a lot.

“I think also just to get the feel for the ball. Obviously singles I have a little more experience even though doubles I have had some great results. It’s just nice to be able to play.

“Where I am at this year is so much different from where I was last year. It’s night and day, being able to be here and prepare for the tournament as opposed to preparing for surgery a year ago.”

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