Venus and Verlander each get long-awaited victories

Two different sports. Two different competitors. Two different examples of athletes proving persistence will be rewarded while disproving the doubters.

Venus Williams won a tennis match, Tuesday, July 22, her first victory in 16 months.

Fewer than 24 hours later, Wednesday, July 23, Justin Verlander pitched a winning baseball game, his first in 16 starts this season. 

Williams is 45. Verlander is 42. So much for Father Time. 

And so much for doubters who never believed that either party could take the next step in careers destined to finish in their respective Halls of Fame. You felt sorry for Venus as she continued entering tournaments and getting defeated all too quickly, often in the first round. She seemed better off stepping away, as did her younger sister, Serena.

But Venus stepped back in and stepped into the winners’ circle, defeating Peyton Stears, a fellow American, 6-3, 6-4.  

“There are no limits for excellence,” said Venus, thinking the way that champions always think, which is why they are champions.

And if anybody should know excellence, it’s Williams.

“You know it’s the first step,” said Williams. “It’s hard to describe how difficult it is to play a first after so much time off.”

Sixteen months off, since a loss to Diana Shnaider in the first round of the 2024 Miami Open. 

Verlander’s time off came at the end of the 2024 baseball season. A free agent, he signed with the San Francisco Giants, who hoped he not only would pitch as in his younger days but also provide leadership for others.

It was not until Wednesday, however, that he got his first win of the year, as the Giants defeated the Braves 9-3 in Atlanta.  Even then, he was questionable because it might be delayed by the all-too-typical southeast weather. Rain began to fall in the middle of the fifth inning as Verlander needed just three outs to qualify for his first victory since the end of the 2024 season when he was with Houston.

“I figured something like that would happen,” said Verlander. “It would be like, ‘OK, this would be the game that gets rained out,’ and there’s going to be a two-hour delay, and they won’t let me go back out.” Fortunately, there was just a light drizzle and no delay, and Verlander made it through the fifth inning, which meant he and the Giants would make it into the win column. 

But nothing was going to ruin the day for Justin or for Venus. 

“So going into the match,” said Venus. “I know I have the ability to win, but it’s all about actually winning. So this is the best result, to play a good match and win.”

That statement was virtually echoed in the Giants' winning clubhouse.

“We know every time he goes out there, guys try extra hard and for whatever reason it just hasn’t worked out,” Bob Melvin, the Giants manager, said of Verlander. “For him to be able to get through five after throwing 40 pitches in the first inning, there’s some toughness involved in that.” 

As for Venus Williams, to return with a win, there’s also a toughness involved.