Washington, July 23 -- American tennis legend Venus Williams marked a triumphant return to singles competition after 16 months, securing a two-set win over world number 35 Peyton Stearns during the Washington Open on Wednesday.

Williams, 45, played as though she never missed a beat, crushing her opposition by 6-3, 6-4, as per Olympics.com.

Williams served nine aces during her return to singles competition after a 16-month-long break due to her long, silent battle with fibroids. A seven-time major champion in women's singles, her last Grand Slam title came at Wimbledon in 2008.

Williams stated after her win, as quoted by Olympics.com, "It is hard to describe how difficult it is to play a first match after so much time off."

While many ...