“Taking young players bread butter just to make fashion statements” – Venus Williams’ 6-1, 6-1 HUMILIATION against Greet Minnen at the US Open has fans demanding retirement from the American great

Greet Minnen beat Venus Williams in 2 straight sets in a match that lasted 73 minutes.

“Taking young players bread butter just to make fashion statements” – Venus Williams’ 6-1, 6-1 HUMILIATION against Greet Minnen at the US Open has fans demanding retirement from the American great

Greet Minnen and Venus Williams (Images via: BettingExpert, UK Times and X/@RKNY716/@Aleksan62118551)

One of the all-time American favorites, Venus Williams, has been on the receiving end of a lot of slack on social media. The 43-year-old was formerly ranked World No. 1 in both singles and doubles and has been the US Open champion twice in a row back in 2000 and 2001. She has also won the Wimbledon Grand Slam title a record five times. However, in the opening round of the 2023 US Open, Williams lost the match to Belgium’s Greet Minnen.

The Qualifier beat the American in an easy win over two sets. In a game that lasted a mere 73 minutes on Tuesday, qualifier Greet Minnen secured her victory, advancing to the second round of the tournament.

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The first-round clash yesterday marked Williams’ 100th career match in Queens. This feat, however, was quickly overshadowed by her loss in the opening match against qualifying Belgian player. Serena lost 1-6, 1-6 to Minnen, scoring only two points in the entire game. Williams’ loss brought along a slew of opinions and heavy criticism from tennis fans.

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Venus Williams’ defeat was critiqued heavily on the Internet. Some fans called her out for her ‘shameful display’ of the sport on Tuesday. A user on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) accused the 43-year-old of “taking young players bread butter just to make fashion statements and to feel relevant.”

Also Read: Ons Jabeur confesses to apologizing to Camila Osorio for calling out doctors mid-match as she faced breathing difficulties at the US Open 2023

Social media reacts to Venus Williams’ first round defeat

Venus Williams
Venus Williams (Image via: The New York Times)

Venus Williams tasted defeat against the lucky qualifier, Greet Minnen yesterday. Williams was scheduled to go head-to-head against 46th seed Paula Badosa earlier, as per the results of the draw. However, her opponent was replaced as Badosa withdrew from the event due to her back injury getting worse. The 25-year-old was replaced by Belgian qualifier Minnen, who shocked the viewers, defeating the former two-time tournament champion.

Many didn’t find Williams’ form in the match anywhere at par with the on-court performance she is known for. Few compared the defeat at her 24th US Open to a few of her previous matches. A number of fans urged the 43-year-old to ‘retire’ from the sport. Others advocated for her and urged the player to embrace the title of the ‘legend’ she’s known to be. Check out some reactions to Venus Williams’ first-round defeat below.

https://twitter.com/RKNY716/status/1696680857703010697?t=bCpq-i8IzVlE-ZVvdSOKFQ&s=08

Many fans urged the player to give up at this point in her career. A host of them acknowledged her brilliant career run and hailed her as a legend as well. Others claimed that watching her play makes them sad and that it gets painful. They asked Williams to retire and give the space to newer players and young qualifiers instead.

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