The saying goes that age is just a number. In professional sports, that number usually matters quite a bit.
Boxing, tennis, baseball and other elite sports have long been dominated by athletes who hit their physical primes in their 20s and 30s, but the return of three mid-40s stars this week has us appreciating the diligence it takes to remain competitive against much younger foes.
The week of the returning veterans began with Manny Pacquiao coming back from a four-year hiatus to battle Mario Barrios for the WBC welterweight world title. Pacquiao impressed in his return but came up just short as the bout ended in a majority draw.
Then, on Tuesday, Rich Hill made MLB history by suiting up for a record-tying 14th team. His first start of the season extended his career to a remarkable 21 seasons. While he picked up a loss, he hung in there against the Chicago Cubs’ league-leading offense, allowing three runs (one earned) on six hits, with two walks and one strikeout across five innings.
Hours later, tennis legend Venus Williams played her first singles match since March 2024 and recorded her first win since 2023 as she topped Peyton Stearns. With the win, Williams became the second-oldest woman to win a singles match on the WTA Tour, only younger than Martina Navratilova in 2004.
If you noticed, we didn’t include the ages of Pacquiao, Hill or Williams in the paragraphs above. That’s because we have a test about them and some other stars. Don’t expect this to be easy — just like in real life, discerning sports ages can be very difficult.
(Photo: Scott Taetsch / Getty Images)