"Winning and losing have no age," Venus Williams' words at the press conference ahead of her return to Cincinnati

At the end of July, Venus Williams made headlines by winning her first-round match in Washington against Peyton Stearns at the age of 45, after being absent from the tour for over a year.

Invited to the main draw in Cincinnati, the American legend hopes to replicate a similar performance. She appeared at a press conference this Wednesday, first speaking about her longevity:

"I feel really great. If there's one thing I know, it's that you're never too young or too old to win or lose. Winning and losing have no age."

The seven-time Grand Slam champion was also asked about her future, stating she is "very much in the present moment," but that people shouldn’t "rule out" the possibility of seeing her play in 2026.

Finally, Venus Williams also reflected on her long recovery period, which kept her away from the courts for many months:

"During that time, I was just focused on coming back healthy. But tennis was always in the back of my mind. Even if it might sound strange, I felt like I had time to heal. When I was on the court, I was always working on my game. I didn’t let everything go. Even if it was just half an hour, I wanted to get something out of it."

The 45-year-old player will begin her campaign in Ohio against Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, a recent quarterfinalist in Montreal.