Venus Williams made her latest appearance at the US Open in Arthur Ashe Stadium. Unfortunately, her campaign ended in the first round with a three-set loss to 11th seed Karolina Muchova, with scores of 6-3, 2-6, and 6-1. At 45, the seven-time Grand Slam champion still received enormous support from the New York crowd, who enjoyed seeing one of the sport’s true icons.
Retirement not on her mind
Despite the defeat, Williams stated she is not thinking about retirement yet. However, she did mention that she is less interested in traveling far for tournaments. “I love playing, but I don’t know if I’m willing to go that far anymore at this stage of my career,” she said.
Limited schedule ahead
The American suggested she would limit her appearances to domestic events, ruling out Guadalajara next month and downplaying her chances of competing at the 2026 Australian Open. “Melbourne is kind of far too,” she joked.
Grateful for opportunity
Williams expressed appreciation for receiving a wildcard entry into the US Open, acknowledging the difficulties she has faced with injuries in recent years. “There were people who still believed in me and gave me the chance to strike the ball and show my game. I still play an exciting brand of tennis, and I’m happiest when I can just hit hard.”
