Venus Williams' run at the Citi Open in Washington, DC, came to an end in the second round on Thursday, July 24, but that didn't make her any less of an astonishing story.
Playing in her first singles match in more than a year, Williams, the 45-year-old tennis great who is currently unranked, thrilled fans when she beat Peyton Stearns 6-3, 6-4 on July 22. Stearns is 23 and ranked 35th in the world.
That same day, 45-year-old pitcher Rich Hill became the oldest player in Kansas City Royals history when he started against the Cubs. He allowed just one earned run in five innings in his first game since September 2024.
Three days earlier, 46-year-old boxer Manny Pacquiao returned to the ring for the first time in almost four years. Pacquiao electrified the crowd when he fought 30-year-old Mario Barrios, the reigning WBC world welterweight champion, to a majority draw.
"I think in general, athletes at that level are just a different sort of type of human being to begin with," said Miho Tanaka, an orthopedic surgeon and director of the Women's Sports Medicine Program at Massachusetts General Hospital. "But I do think that longevity really requires that perfect amount of preparedness and support."
