Tennis icon Venus Williams is set to make a high-profile return to the spotlight this spring—this time behind the microphone. The seven-time Grand Slam singles champion will join the TNT Sports broadcast team for coverage of the 2025 Roland Garros tournament in Paris, beginning May 25.
At 44, Williams brings decades of elite tennis experience to a star-studded analyst lineup that includes fellow legends Andre Agassi, Chris Evert, Jim Courier, John McEnroe, and Lindsay Davenport. They will be joined by Grand Slam champions Sloane Stephens and Caroline Wozniacki, creating one of the most accomplished commentary teams ever assembled.
Venus Williams first competed at Roland Garros in 1997, reaching the second round. Her most memorable run came in 2002 when she advanced to the final, falling to her sister Serena Williams in straight sets. That match marked the beginning of Serena’s legendary “Serena Slam.” Venus last appeared at the French Open in 2021, exiting in the first round. Her most recent Grand Slam appearance was at the 2023 US Open, and she played her latest tour match at the 2024 Miami Open, losing to Diana Shnaider.
Though she hasn’t officially retired, Venus will celebrate her 45th birthday on June 17. Her transition to broadcasting represents a new chapter in a career that has already shaped the sport for nearly three decades.
TNT Sports launches massive Roland Garros coverage
This year marks a transformative moment in U.S. tennis broadcasting. Warner Bros. Discovery’s TNT Sports will exclusively air live coverage of the entire Roland Garros tournament across TNT, TBS, truTV, and the Max streaming platform. In total, nearly 900 matches across all competitions will be available live.
Key features of the coverage include:
- Live match broadcasts on TNT, with extended coverage on TBS and truTV
- All-day studio and whiparound programming on truTV, styled after the men’s NCAA basketball tournament
- Streaming of every match on Max, including simulcasts from all TNT Sports channels
- Comprehensive behind-the-scenes content and highlights across TNT, TBS, truTV, Max, Bleacher Report, and House of Highlights
- Tennis Channel will air nightly replays of selected Roland Garros matches
TNT Sports’ new French Open rights deal, worth $650 million over 10 years, was finalized in June 2024. The agreement with the French Tennis Federation positions Warner Bros. Discovery as the tournament’s most expansive global media partner, building on Eurosport’s 35-year legacy of coverage in Europe.
With this milestone partnership, fans in the U.S. will enjoy the most in-depth and dynamic coverage of Roland Garros ever produced.
Meanwhile, all eyes will also be on the defending champions—Carlos Alcaraz on the men’s side and Iga Swiatek for the women—as they look to defend their titles on the red clay of Paris. (source: Tennis Now)
Women’s Tennis Blog