Venus Williams went out in the first round of the 2025 US Open in three sets at the hands of Karolina Muchova on Monday (26 August).
The 45-year-old Williams won the hearts of Arthur Ashe Stadium but lost the match 6-3, 2-6, 6-1 in two hours at her 25th US Open main draw, the most ever during tennis’s Open era – female or male.
Playing at the tournament for the first time in two years, Williams was the oldest singles player at the US Open since 1981 when Renee Richards played at 47. She only hit the comeback trail in July, after being away from the tour for a year and four months.
“My team and I, we worked as hard and as fast as we could,” said Williams, whose eyes were rheumy during the press conference.
“We literally took no days off. I haven’t gone to dinner. I haven’t seen friends. I haven’t done anything except train for three months as hard as I could. From each match that I didn’t win, then I tried to go back and learn from that and then get better.
“I think for me, getting back on the court was about giving myself a chance to play more healthy. When you play unhealthy, it’s in your mind. It’s not just how you feel. You get stuck in your mind too.
“So it was nice to be freer.”
Williams was up 3-2 in the first set but Muchova, semi-finalist the last two years here, clawed her way back in, winning the next four games to take the set.
Two-time US Open winner Williams broke to start the second which she would cruise through, but it was all Muchova in the final set.
The Czech raced out to a 3-0 lead before Williams held serve. Muchova won the remaining games to close the deal.
“It was an unbelievable atmosphere,” Muchova said as she paid her respects to Williams. “She’s such a legend of our sport. It’s so nice to play, to share a court with her and I’m just glad that I was lucky to win today.”
Williams has not won a singles match at the US Open since 2019.