Serena Williams Shares Heartwarming Message to Sister, Venus, After US Open Exit

Venus Williams is currently ranked World No.582 in the WTA rankings after her return to the tour.

Serena Williams Shares Heartwarming Message to Sister, Venus, After US Open Exit

Venus Williams and Serena Williams (via X/Jose Morgado/Wall Street Journal)

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Serena Williams reacted to her sister Venus Williams’ performance at the US Open first round clash against World No.13 Karolina Muchova. The former World No.1 showed some flashes of her vintage self at the Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York but it wasn’t enough to overcome the 2024 US Open semi-finalist.

Williams was making her 25th appearance at the US Open and first since 2023. She made her Grand Slam debut at the 1997 French Open and lost in the second round but did well to climb into the Top 100 before the US Open, where she stunned the world by reaching the final before losing the title to Martina Hingis.

The 45-year-old became the oldest women’s singles player to compete at Flushing Meadows since Renee Richards in 1981. She was given a great welcome when she stepped onto the court against Muchova, but a few minutes into the match, the crowd became silent as she managed to win just two of the opening 13 points.

Muchova looked in control of the tie until Williams won her first game, which got the crowd on their feet. It was in the second set that she found her rhythm on the court, hitting 10 winners and only five unforced errors. Muchova couldn’t control the seven-time Grand Slam winner’s serve and pace; she needed the third set to get back into the match.

Despite the backing of the partisan crowd, Williams couldn’t stop Muchova in the end. She fell to the Czech Republic star 3-6, 6-2, 1-6 in the first round. After the match, Serena Williams took to Instagram to praise her sister, revealing that she was immensely proud of her performance despite her loss:

I am immensely proud of you @venuswilliams.

Venus Williams 2
Serena Williams (via Instagram)

Williams, who won her first US Open title in 2000 and then defended it the following year, was handed a wildcard to the tournament. The move by the organizers was heavily criticized but tennis legend Andy Roddick came to her defense before the tournament kicked off.

Venus Williams has now won just one of her last four matches on tour. The single win came at the Washington Open, where she defeated Peyton Stearns in straight sets. But her run at the WTA 500 tournament was short-lived as she lost in the second round to Magdalena Frech in straight sets.

Venus Williams happy to still play on tour in her 40s despite not having the best of health

Venus Williams was not envisioned to play professional tennis into her 40s. The 45-year-old withdrew from the 2011 US Open after disclosing that she had been diagnosed with Sjogren’s, an autoimmune disease that causes fatigue and joint pain. Surprisingly, she kept on playing and in 2017 reached the final of the Australian Open and Wimbledon.

Venus Williams (via X/Jose Morgado)
Venus Williams (via X/Jose Morgado)

During her post-match press conference after losing to Karolina Muchova, she revealed that despite not being lucky with her health she still loves to play on the court, adding that she’s happy when she hits the ball in a competitive event:

The truth is, I wasn’t lucky with my health and injuries, but there are still people who believe in me at the tournaments. I’m grateful to have this opportunity to hit the ball again. Tennis is still very exciting; it’s so much fun to go out there and hit as hard as you can. I’m happiest when I hit harder. In Washington and Cincinnati, I still didn’t know how to control this; I think today I measured it much better, playing smarter and not just with force.

Williams also admitted that she wouldn’t play in any tournament this season after the US Open, but didn’t reveal whether she will still be competing on tour next year. She’s currently ranked World No.582 in the WTA rankings.

Also Read: Maria Sharapova Recalls How She Asked Serena Williams to Introduce Her Into Tennis Hall of Fame