A quarter century after she helped christen Arthur Ashe Stadium with a magical run to the finals at age 17 in 1997, Venus Williams was unable to join her younger sister Serena in the second round of what could be the final U.S. Open for both tennis icons.
In her first Grand Slam event since Wimbledon in 2021 and only her fourth singles match this year overall, the 42-year-old Venus suffered a 6-1, 7-6 (5) defeat Tuesday to Belgium’s Alison Van Uytvanck at Ashe. The two-time U.S. Open singles champion and seven-time Grand Slam winner was granted a wild-card entry into the tournament after also dropping her previous three matches this summer.
“It was definitely the longest time I have been away from tennis and been without a racquet in my hand. So it was a completely new experience for me, trying to acclimate as quick as possible to be ready for the U.S. Open, which was not easy,” said Venus Williams, whose WTA ranking is down to 1,504. “Definitely, played lots of great points today but it’s just, in the end, it’s just rust.
Venus Williams hits a backhand during her first-round loss at the U.S. Open. Corey Sipkin“There is nothing you can do about that except for, you know, not be rusty at some point. … I definitely walked out there and did my best under the circumstances.”
Serena Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam winner, advanced to the second round Wednesday night against No. 2 seed Anett Kontaveit after winning her initial match in straight sets Monday night against Danka Kovinic in what she has indicated will be the final tournament of her career.
Asked if she also plans to retire after this tournament, Venus Williams replied that right now “she’s just focused on the doubles.” She jokingly replied it was Serena’s idea to compete together this year because “she’s the boss, so I do whatever she tells me to do.”
The sisters from Compton will team up in women’s doubles beginning Thursday night against the Czech pair of Lucie Hradecka and Linda Noskova. They are looking to add to the additional 14 Grand Slams titles they’ve won as a tandem, including U.S. Open crowns together in 1999 and 2009.
“Honestly they are all great moments. I just love being here, love playing here, the excitement of getting here, and the lead-up is all just — it never gets old. It’s so sweet,” Venus Williams said. “Obviously there has been some great moments for both Serena and I here that we’ve got to share with each other, either on the doubles court or watching the other go to victory. That’s nice.”
Following her match Monday night, Serena Williams referred to her older sibling as “my rock” and said she believed it was “very important for [Venus] to be a part of this. … I’m super-excited to play with her and just do [doubles] again. It’s been a long time.”
