More than three decades after she burst onto the tennis scene, Venus Williams is still playing at the top level. Why are we seeing elite athletes carrying on into their 40s and beyond?
Venus Williams first played in the Australian Open in 1998 and returns in 2026Image: Andrew Cornaga/Photosport NZ/IMAGO
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Venus Williams has consistently broken records and barriers across a 32-year tennis career decorated by five Olympic medals, seven Grand Slam singles titles and 14 doubles Grand Slams with her sister, Serena. This month, she'll add another record and break another barrier, becoming the oldest woman to play singles at the Australian Open.
At 45, Williams, handed a wildcard for the tournament, is 27 years older than the youngest player in the women's draw, fellow American Iva Jovic. By the time Jovic, 18, was born in 2007, Williams had already won four singles grand slams.
The older Williams sister has said her love for the sport, rather than notions of adding to her honors list, motivates her and that sticking to her schedule despite gaps in playing tournaments has aided her longevity.
Venus and Serena Williams share 30 singles and 14 doubles Grand Slam wins between themImage: AP
"I stopped running [long] distances a few years ago. That's the only thing I've changed," she told a press conference ahead of a warmup tournament in New Zealand.
"But other than that, I've kept a similar routine. Even in all the years I wasn't playing, I was always in the gym as if I had a match the next day, so that helps me whenever I come back to play. I do come back fit. I come back strong without missing a beat."
40 but not finished
While elite athletes competing into their 40s and beyond is not so unusual in less physical sports, elite athletes in demanding sports appear to be able to sustain a career longer now than ever before.
"Population aging is not only increasing the average age of citizens but the average ages of elite sport participants, too," Dr. Rafal Chomik of the UNSW Centre for Population Ageing Research (CEPAR) in Sydney, Australia, told DW.
"There are a number of likely explanations, including improvements in sports science, equipment innovation, and training regimes which are sport-specific, but there are also the wider societal trends that combine medical innovations and better health behaviors that shift all of us towards longer, healthier lives, including athletes."
CEPAR conducted a study of Olympic athlete ages at the Tokyo Games in 2021. It found that the average age of Olympians increased by 2 years from 25 to 27 between 1992 and 2021, with the median age up to 25 from 23. The trend continued at the Paris Games in 2024, with the average age just over 27 and the median age not far behind at 26.6.
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Power fades first
But not all sports are made equal in this regard. The oldest competitor in Paris was Australian equestrian rider Mary Hanna at 70. That sport had an average competitor age of 39.5 in Paris — rhythmic gymnastics was the lowest at 20.44.
"We seem to lose power — measured by jumping ability in our study — at an earlier age than endurance and strength," Maria Westerstahl, lead author of the study, told DW.
"One explanation could be that the explosive muscle cell type (Type II) appears most vulnerable to lack of exercise or to aging itself. However, we do not know why, so the exact reason requires further study," she continued.
"However, there is considerable room for change if you remain or become active. Aerobic capacity tracks the least, while muscular endurance tracks the most, meaning that aerobic capacity requires the most maintenance to preserve."
Winning gets harder with age
This goes a long way to explaining why the likes of Williams, James and Ronaldo are such outliers in the top echelons of sports where power matters, whereas sports like equestrian, bowls or darts see players in their 40s, 50s or even older compete at the elite level.
"Darts is not a sport where you need to be really strong. All you need is to basically be healthy," darts player Paul Lim said after becoming the oldest player to win a match at the World Championship this year at the age of 71.
"Longevity is something in darts that will be longer than a lot of other sports."
Although Lim won a match, the title went to 18-year-old prodigy Luke Littler. Realistically, winning a match or two, rather than her first Australian Open, might be all that Williams can achieve in Melbourne.
"If you look at the top 100 Tennis player lists over the last 30 years, for both men and women, the maximum age appears not to exceed 40," Chomik said.
"Perhaps it becomes a distinction between participating and winning."
What to look forward to in the world of sports in 2026
2026 looks like a banner year for sports fans, with the highlight for most being the men's World Cup in June and July. The Winter Olympic Games will feature what many believe will be the best-ever ice hockey tournament.
Image: Graham Hughes/IMAGO
Australian Open: January 18-February 1
Jannik Sinner (left) of Italy enters the 2026 Australian Open as defending men's singles champion, while Germany's Alexander Zverev (right), who lost in the final, will be vying for his first Grand Slam win. Madison Keys of the United States is the defending champion on the women's side of the first Grand Slam of the tennis season and the first major sporting event of every year.
Image: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images
Super Bowl LX: February 8
If the Australian Open is the first highlight of every sporting year, the Super Bowl is certainly the second. The championship match of the National Football League regularly attracts well over 100 million television viewers in the United States and millions more globally. Many who watch tune in as much for the halftime show as the game itself.
Image: Matt Slocum/AP Photo/picture alliance
Winter Olympics: February 6-February 22
The Winter Olympics is a multi-sport event, but the men's ice hockey tournament is among the most popular. The NHL players will be back, making this the first best-on-best hockey tournament since the 2014 Sochi Games in Russia — minus the Russians, of course. Canada's Connor McDavid (left) and Auston Matthews of the US (both pictured) and Germany's Leon Draisaitl will be among the stars to watch.
Image: Graham Hughes/IMAGO
World Baseball Classic: March 5-17
While Major League Baseball calls the winners of its World Series "world champions," it's a term perhaps more applicable to the World Baseball Classic. This year's edition will be spread over the United States, Japan and Puerto Rico, with the semifinals and final to be held in Miami. Led by superstar Shohei Ohtani (right), Japan beat the USA 3-2 in the final of the last tournament in 2023.
Image: Megan Briggs/Getty Images
Paralympics: March 6-15
2026 marks the 50th anniversary of the first Paralympic Winter Games, held in Ornskoldsvik, Sweden. In Milan and Cortina 2026, around 600 athletes will compete in 79 medal events across six sports: alpine skiing, biathlon, cross-country skiing, ice hockey, snowboard and wheelchair curling. A new event, wheelchair curling mixed doubles, has been introduced for these Games.
Image: Dita Alangkara/AP Photo/picture alliance
Formula One: March 8-December 6
Formula One enters a new season with a new defending drivers' champion, Britain's Lando Norris, whose McLaren-Mercedes team also won the constructors' championship in 2025. The 77th edition of the Formula One World Championship will be run over 24 races, beginning with the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on March 8 and concluding with the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on December 6.
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Champions League finals: May 23, May 30
The European football season reaches its climax with the Champions League finals. The women's final is to be played at the Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo, while the men do battle a week later in the Puskas Arena in Budapest. Barcelona have dominated the women's tournament, reaching six of the last seven finals, winning it three times. Arsenal (women) and Paris St. Germain (men) are defending champions.
Image: Jose Hernandez/Anadolu Agency/IMAGO
Enhanced Games: May 24
The first Enhanced Games is to take place in Las Vegas. The competition, including athletics, swimming and weightlifting, allows athletes using performance-enhancing substances to compete without being subject to testing. As such, the idea has been widely criticized. The EG made headlines last May, when it claimed that Kristian Gkolomeev (photo) had set a world record in the 50-meters freestyle.
Image: Andrej Isakovic/AFP/Getty Images
FIFA World Cup: June 11-July 19
The men's World Cup is being held for the second time in the United States after 1994, with a few games also to be hosted by Mexico and Canada. This will be the first time that the tournament will feature 48 teams — up from 32 in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The defending champions are Lionel Messi's Argentina. Germany are in Group E, along with Curacao, Ivory Coast and Ecuador.
Image: Matthias Koch/IMAGO
T20 World Cups: February, June, July
The 2026 ICC Women's T20 World Cup is to be hosted by the England and Wales Cricket Board from June 12 to July 5. For the first time, the tournament is to feature 12 teams, up from 10 in 2024. New Zealand are the defending women's champions. The men's version of the tournament is to be contested from February 7 to March 8 in India and Sri Lanka. Australia are the men's titleholders.
Image: Stu Forster/Getty Images
Women's Basketball World Cup: September 4-13
Germany is set to host the the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup for a second time — after 1998. All of the matches will be played in Berlin. After the 2022 tournament in Australia featured just 12 teams, the World Cup is back up to 16 — the same number that took part in the event from 1990 to 2018. The United States are the four-time defending champions.
World Athletics Ultimate Championship: September 11-13
Another event to be held for the first time is the World Athletics Ultimate Championship — in Budapest. Unlike the regular World Athletics Championships, it only includes semifinals and finals. Which athletes are invited is determined largely by the world rankings. Olympic champions and world champions, like Oblique Seville (photo), who won the 100-meters in Tokyo, are automatically invited.
Image: Kyodo News/IMAGO
WTA, ATP Finals: November
These finals are the most prestigious tennis tournament of the season after the four Grand Slams. The women and men compete in separate events at separate locations. The 2026 WTA Finals are to be held in Riyadh from November 7 to 14, while the men assemble for the ATP Finals in Turin on November 15. Elena Rybakina is the defending women's singles champion, Jannik Sinner is the men's title holder.
