Venus Williams is making a comeback to tennis at the Indian Wells Open, and she'll face Nao Hibino in her first-round match.
This will make for a very interesting pre-match photo as Williams towers over Hiibno in height. Regarding tennis legacy, it's the same thing, but it gets a bit iffy when it comes to the current level.
The Japanese player is a very interesting player who is a tremendous hitter. She's not Elena Rybakina, but considering her size, she's able to put a lot of power into those balls.
The style is an attacking one and quite fitting of the way Indian Wells courts play. Having gone through the qualifiers should give her enough confidence to embrace this matchup.
We can't really say much about Venus Williams because we haven't seen her play this year. Her last few outings before the injuries had both good and bad moments, so we'll just have to wait and see what happens in the match. She's been working on her game for a while, though.
Head-to-head:
They have never played before on the WTA Tour, which might hurt Williams more than Hibino. I'm sure the Japanese player knows what Williams can do on the court, especially with her great play in Indian Wells in the past.
A lot will come down to how well Williams can trade blows with Hibino. I expect her to do quite well in that regard, but I'm not sure she'll be able to sustain it enough to win the match.
| Nao Hibino | Venus Williams | |
| 0 | H2H | 0 |
| 80 | Rank | 487 |
| 29 | Age | 43 |
| 8-7 | 2024 W/L | 0-0 |
| 357-281 | Career W/L | 818-276 |
Prediction:
Hibino will be relentless in this matchup, and I don't know if Williams's legs will handle that. She'll win games and points, but I don't know if she can really outlast her opponent.
Ultimately, she's 43 and coming off a long layoff. There will be all sorts of rust, especially against a player who has been looking very good lately and can hit well.
Prediction: Nao Hibino to win in three sets.
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