Venus Williams suggests potential retirement after hard-fought US Open loss

NEW YORK, Aug 26 — An emotional Venus Williams remained uncertain about her future on Monday after the 45-year-old fought valiantly before falling in the first round of the US Open. The former world number one thrilled the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd with a spirited performance but ultimately lost 6-3, 2-6, 6-1 to Czech 11th seed Karolina Muchova.

Williams had only returned to competition in July following a 16-month layoff and was granted a wild card into the main draw at Flushing Meadows, a decision that drew some criticism. Yet her display against the 29-year-old — who was not even born when Williams turned professional in 1994 — more than justified the organisers’ faith.

The seven-time major champion said she does not expect to play again this year, citing her reluctance to travel, but gave no clear answer about whether she would attempt a comeback at the Australian Open. “That’s kind of far too,” said Williams, a US Open champion in 2000 and 2001, when asked about Melbourne.

“My goal is to do what I want to do. I’m so grateful for all the folks who gave me a wild card. They could have said, ‘Hey, listen, you’ve been gone too long, you haven’t won a lot of matches in the last few years.’ I wasn’t lucky with my health and injuries,” she said. “But there were a lot of people who believed in me in these tournaments. I’m very grateful to have had that chance and that opportunity to make good on it and have a chance to really strike the ball. I play an exciting brand of tennis. It’s a lot of fun to go literally hog wild out there and hit as hard as I can. I’m happiest when I can just hit hard.”

Williams compared Monday’s match with her 2020 US Open encounter against Muchova, when she lost in straight sets in the opening round. “When I think about the match I played against her in 2020, I was so uncomfortable. I wasn’t well. I was in so much pain. Today it’s night and day how much better I felt, so I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to play in feeling better, and at that rate, have a real chance,” she said.

Reflecting on her fitness, Williams grew emotional as she noted she was finally competing without pain. “What did I prove to myself? I think for me getting back on the court was about giving myself a chance to play more healthy,” she said. “When you play unhealthy, it’s in your mind. It’s not just how you feel. You get stuck in your mind too. It was nice to be freer.” — AFP