At 45 years old, 'the veteran' makes her young opponent sweat at Indian Wells 2026

At an age when most of her peers have already retired, the former world number one still retains her full desire and passion for professional tennis.

Tennis legend Venus Williams exits in the very first round of the WTA 1000 tournament Indian Wells 2026 following a 3-6; 7-6; 1-6 defeat to French player Diane Parry in the early hours of March 6th, Vietnam time.

The age gap of 22 years provided a significant advantage for Diane Parry—the young star from France and one of the rare female players who uses a one-handed backhand. However, in reality, Parry had a relatively tough match against her 45-year-old opponent.

The first set was closely contested before Parry secured a break point in the 6th game. This one-handed backhand player brilliantly saved all 3 break points in the very next game to maintain her lead, clinching the first set 6-3.

The second set witnessed a tremendous effort from Venus Williams. She lost her service game but quickly regained her footing, then demonstrated her composure by saving 2 break points, forcing the set into a tie-break. Here, "the elder Williams" played superbly to win 7-4, taking the match to a deciding set.

Many envisioned a perfect comeback for the 45-year-old player, but the strong winds in California prevented this scenario from becoming reality. Parry capitalized well on her opportunity to close out the match with a hard-fought 2-1 overall victory.

Venus Williams participated in this year's tournament thanks to wildcard entries in both singles and doubles. This also marks a memorable milestone, as the Indian Wells tournament commemorates 30 years since her first appearance at this event in 1996, when she was just 15 years old.

However, the comeback of the seven-time Grand Slam champion did not go as hoped. This marks Williams' 8th consecutive defeat in singles matches on the WTA Tour. Her most recent singles victory was at the tournament in Washington last year, in a match against fellow American Peyton Stearns.

Meanwhile, for Diane Parry, this victory advances her to the second round, where she will face the 15th seed, Madison Keys.