Peerless will

Given Venus Williams’ sparkling resume, the need for further validation clearly does not factor into her decision to keep playing.

- ANTHONY L. CUAYCONG

At 45, she has nothing left to prove — not to the public, not to the sport, and certainly not to herself. Still and all, she has continually resolved to compete in Tour-level events despite her myriad challenges, including health issues associated with Sjögren’s Syndrome and uterine fibroids. Which, in a nutshell, was why her first-round win at the Mubadala Citi DC Open the other day hogged headlines; her 6-3, 6-4 triumph over Peyton Stearns, a player two decades her junior and ranked 35^th in the world, was as much an upset as a reflection of her inimitable will.