When Venus Williams announced her comeback to the North American hard-court swing this summer, tennis fans knew they were in for something special. The seven-time Major champion and former world No. 1 had been away from the spotlight for much of the past three seasons. Yet at 45, she wasn’t finished writing her story.

Her first stop was Washington, where she set the tone by defeating Peyton Stearns , a player nearly half her age. She would play a couple more matches, but everyone knew all roads led to New York.

New York, Her Stage

The U.S. Open has always been more than just another tournament for Venus. A two-time champion in New York (2000, 2001) with finals appearances in 1997 and 2002, she returned this year for her record 25th main-draw appearance, an achievement no other pla

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