Quote from Oladosun Joshua Segun on May 15, 2026, 11:12 AM

Venus Williams is working hard to make it back to the French Open. The 45-year-old will compete in women's doubles at this year's championship with 24-year-old Hailey Baptiste after five years away from Roland-Garros. According to the Associated Press, she won't be performing singles during the event, which starts on May 24.

Venus has been very active on the court from the previous year. “There is no doubt I can play tennis,” in July 2025, she informed the Wall Street Journal, "but obviously coming back to play matches, it takes time to get in the swing of things. I definitely feel I’ll play well. I’m still the same player.”

Venus, who co-chaired this year's Met Gala, has had a busy month. The French Open is another significant event for the tennis player, who in January became the oldest woman to participate in a singles main draw at the Australian Open. In 1999 and 2010, she earned two Roland-Garros women's doubles championships.

Venus has lately commemorated a number of significant occasions. Last December, she married 37-year-old Italian producer and actor Andrea Preti in a five-day celebration in Palm Beach, Florida. However, the pair held a low-key ceremony in Ischia, Italy, prior to the multi-day affair.

“We had this dream to do our wedding in Italy,” in an interview at that moment, the Olympian revealed this to Vogue. “But we didn’t have enough time to do the paperwork—because I’m a foreigner, it can take about eight months. So we decided to have a second wedding.”

Palm Beach was a sentimental option for Venus, who started her tennis training there with her sister Serena Williams, even if their original plans didn't work out. The Florida wedding turned out to be a wonderful option for Venus because all of her loved ones were close by.

“We all love each other so much,” she continued. “It was just the happiest, most beautiful, sweetest day.”