The legendary tennis player lost to No. 5 seed Magdalena Frech in straight sets, 6-2, 6-2, in the round of 16. Frech will face No. 3 seed Elena Rybakina after defeating Williams in their first career head-to-head matchup.

Working her way into the quarterfinals 👉

5th seed Magdalena Frech defeats Williams to reach the last 8 in DC.#MubadalaCitiDCOpen pic.twitter.com/YlX5Ooi6Yp

— Mubadala Citi DC Open (@mubadalacitidc) July 25, 2025

Frech will look to turn things around against Rybakina, as she lost their first two matchups.

Despite the loss, Williams was already the story of the tournament before she even took the court Thursday.

After all, she advanced to the round of 16 by defeating world No. 35 Peyton Stearns in straight sets. It was the first time she competed since the Miami Open in March 2024 and also the first time she played a professional match since she underwent fibroids surgery.

Vintage Venus ™️@Venuseswilliams | #MubadalaCitiDCOpen pic.twitter.com/UrKpOH3WWH

— wta (@WTA) July 25, 2025

By prevailing at 45 years old, Williams became the oldest woman to win a WTA match since 47-year-old Martina Navratilova in 2004.

"What can you say—because it's unbelievable," Navratilova said of Williams' return, per WTATennis.com. "She beat a top-ranked [No. 35] player. I mean, hats off."

It was the latest accomplishment in a career full of them, as Williams is a seven-time Grand Slam champion, 49-time singles champion and five-time Olympic medalist, four of which are gold. She is widely considered one of the greatest tennis players in the history of the sport, and anything else she does at this point will only add to that legacy.

Night ✌️ ft. @Venuseswilliams. #MubadalaCitiDCOpen pic.twitter.com/qOf437NNzx

— Mubadala Citi DC Open (@mubadalacitidc) July 25, 2025

Unfortunately for Williams, she won't be adding a 2025 Citi DC Open title to that resume.

Frech set the tone in the early going with two quick breaks in the opening set as the American struggled with her serve and double-faulted multiple times. Perhaps fatigue started to become an issue for the veteran, who also competed in the doubles draw of this tournament and advanced to the quarterfinals alongside partner Hailey Baptiste.

It was more of the same in the second set, as Frech jumped out to a 4-1 advantage with multiple breaks.

Williams was clearly not at the top of her game as she fought through unforced errors and inconsistent serves, but the crowd rallied behind her and chanted her name as she earned a break back.

Frech made sure that momentum was short-lived, though, and broke right back while cruising to the win.

Thursday wasn't the result Williams was looking for, but she still did something that nobody outside of Navratilova has done in women's tennis at this tournament.