What’s The Diet Fuelling Venus Williams’ Professional Tennis Comeback?

Venus Williams, the seven-time Grand Slam singles tennis champion, recently won a first-round match at the Washington Open, her first appearance in approximately 16 months.

The victory made 45-year-old Williams the oldest player to win a Women’s Tennis Association Tour singles match in more than 21 years. Williams, who follows a mostly plant-based diet, is widely considered to be one of the greatest tennis players of all time, but was thought to be inactive in early 2025 after going more than a year without competing.

Williams is now also set to become the oldest US Open Tennis Championships singles player in 44 years after being given a wildcard for Flushing Meadows in Queens, New York City, later this month. Competing in the tournament will allow Williams to extend her home Grand Slam tournament for a record-extending 25th time, as reported by the BBC this week.

Williams’s sister, Serena, retired after the 2022 US Open. Some have speculated that Williams may retire after participating in this year’s competition, but writing on X, Serena’s former coach, Rick Macci, predicted that both Williams sisters may end up competing at this year’s US Open.

“Asked if Serena will play doubles with Vee at the OPEN. My gut [says] probably because at the end of the day Serena can still play even though she has been away,” said Macci. “Her serve is still one of the best on the planet and when she competes her mindset is like granite.”

The US Open takes place in Flushing Meadows from August 24 to September 7, and will kick off with a mixed doubles tournament on August 19th and 20th.

Venus Williams and plant-based diets

Photo shows a selection of plant-based proteins, including beans, lentils, peas, and more — Adobe Stock Venus Williams has eaten a primarily plant-based diet for nearly 15 years

Williams has followed a mostly plant-based diet for nearly 15 years, which she previously told Business Insider has helped transform her athletic performance, skin, and overall health. She has said that eating plant-based foods specifically helps mitigate symptoms of Sjogren’s Syndrome, an autoimmune disease affecting up to 4 million Americans, including Williams.

A case report published in Frontiers in Nutrition last year found that a four-week regimen on a plant-based whole food diet “rapidly” reversed most of the symptoms of Sjögren’s syndrome and systemic lupus erythematosus for three different women aged 40 to 54, with long-lasting effects.

In an article written for media outlet The Beet, which has since merged with Forks Over Knives to form Upbeat Brands, Williams listed plant-based whole foods like fresh berry smoothies, strawberry milkshakes, kale chips, nuts, and pickled vegetables as some of her go-to foods. She also mentioned sweet potatoes, lentil salads, quinoa, and burgers as some of her other favorites.

Inspired by her own experiences, Williams launched a vegan protein range, Happy Viking, and in 2021 invested in the vegan marketplace “PlantX,” becoming one of the brand’s ambassadors.