Twenty-eight years since Venus Williams first stepped foot onto the hallowed courts of the US Open, it is as if she never left.
The four-time Olympic tennis gold medallist returned to Flushing Meadows to a rapturous reception reserved for the greats of the game, as she emerged for the revamped Mixed Doubles Championship alongside Reilly Opelka.
Although her latest Grand Slam title quest ended in opening round defeat, the women’s singles draw still lies in store, the 45-year-old awarded a wildcard for the main draw starting Sunday (24 August).
Williams has a tricky first round opponent in 11th seed Karolína Muchová, the 29-year-old Czech who has reached the semi-finals two years running. Only one of these women has lifted the trophy though, and that was Venus back in 2000 and 2001.
When Venus made a shock comeback to the WTA tour in July 2025, all roads seemed certain to lead to the US Open, where she has been crowned champion on four occasions: twice in singles, twice in doubles.
The former world number one played at the DC Open and the Cincinnati Open in her preparations for Flushing Meadows, both on her adored hard courts in her homeland of the USA. Next up: the Big Apple and the final Slam of the season.