Venus Williams fought valiantly before exiting the US Open on her return to Grand Slam tennis, with Melbourne champion Madison Keys suffering a surprising first-round defeat.
The second full day of action in New York turned attention to the Arthur Ashe Stadium’s night session, where 45-year-old Williams lost in three sets to 11th seed Karolina Muchova. Williams made her competitive return in July following a 16-month hiatus from the sport, having received a wild card into the main draw at Flushing Meadows.
However, her hopes of a fairytale run—28 years after her debut in the tournament in 1997—came to an end with a 6-3, 2-6, 6-1 loss to Muchova, who was born after Williams turned professional in 1994.
“I didn’t win today, but I’m very proud of the way I played,” Williams stated. “I don’t think I’ve ever had a crowd on my side like that. I knew people around the world and throughout the United States were really rooting for me, and that felt great.”
