Venus Williams might not be the superstar she once was, but the 43-year-old is still trucking along and on Monday, she made a big impression at the Rothesay Classic in Birmingham, England. Williams beat Italian standout Camila Giorgi, who is ranked no. 48 in the world, 7-6(5), 4-6, 7-6(6) in a three-hour thriller. In fact, it was just her second victory since the 2021 edition of Wimbledon, as reported by Jose Morgado.

The five-time Wimbledon champion is currently ranked 697th in the world, so this win is a massive deal. It wasn't easy though as Venus dealt with knee soreness throughout the match and nearly had to stop play as a result. But, Williams pushed through and after the marathon ended, she had nothing but praise for Giorgi. Via tennis.com:

“I thought I played so well today, and she also played incredible,” Venus Williams said. “I'm so surprised she's not No. 1 in the world. There were so many moments where I just thought, ‘This match is over,' and she would hit a shot from out of nowhere.

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“She pushed me to be better than what I thought I could be, and it's great for me. I haven't played a lot of matches, and it's great to come through.”

Williams just returned to the court last week after being sidelined since the start of the year with a hamstring injury, losing her first match back against a 17-year-old. That being said, Venus bounced back Monday and will now move on to the Round of 16 on Wednesday to face a TBD opponent.

The journey continues for the legend.