Venus Williams to play DC Open, Toronto during Hard-Court Swing

Venus Williams is beginning to fill her schedule for the upcoming Hard-Court Swing. 

The seven-time Grand Slam champion will play the WTA 500 Mubadala DC Open at the end of the month. Williams returned to the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz in Washington, D.C. last year. In her first match in 16 months, the then-45-year-old beat Peyton Stearns 6-4, 6-3 to become the oldest player to win a WTA match since 47-year-old Martina Navratilova defeated Catalina Castano at Wimbledon in 2004.

The following week, Williams will play the National Bank Open in Toronto after receiving a wild card.

"I’m so thrilled to be back playing in Toronto," Williams said. "It’s a city and a tournament that have always meant so much to me.

"The National Bank Open has been part of my journey since I received one of my first wild cards here at just 15 years old. It’s wonderful to return to a place with so many special memories, and I can’t wait to compete again in front of Toronto’s amazing tennis fans."

Williams will be making her 13th appearance at the Canadian tournament, which alternates yearly between Toronto and Montreal. 

Her best result came back in 2014, when she defeated Serena Williams 6-7 (2), 6-2, 6-3 in the semifinals before falling to Agnieszka Radwanska in the final. (When she received that wild card at age 15, back in 1995, she lost to future Belgium Fed Cup captain Sabine Appelmans in the first round.)

Williams has gone winless in her first eight singles matches of 2026, the most recent of which was in Bad Homburg. She has won a pair of doubles matches, first with Katie Boulter in Madrid and then Alexandra Eala in Bad Homburg.

She's also set to reunite with Serena, with whom she won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles, at Wimbledon.

The Mubadala DC Open will take place from July 27-August 2, and the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers will start on August 2 and run through August 13.