At this point Venus Williams owes the game of tennis nothing. For years she was one of the most dominant tennis players in the world and at 45, she is still a force to be reckoned with.

Playing in her first grand slam since 2023, Williams lost to 11th seed, 21-year-old Karolína Muchová in three sets, 6-3, 2-6, 6-1. It was not the storybook ending Williams wanted. This was Williams' fourth competitive match after her 16-month hiatus to deal with health challenges. She received a wildcard to enter the tournament. 

After the match, an emotional Williams spoke to reporters about her performance.

“I definitely had a bit of a slow start, but it’s not really a bad thing,” Williams said after the match. “I just haven’t played a lot of matches, so I’m still finding everything … I didn’t win today, but I’m very proud of how I played."

“The lights are very bright out there. I don’t think I’ve ever had a crowd that much on my side. When I lost those first two games, they were just still right there with me every point,” she continued. “It didn't matter if I was losing and it was starting to roll fast, they were just right there with me, and it felt great.”

"My team and I worked as hard and as fast as we could. We literally took no days off. I haven't gone to dinner. I haven't seen friends,” she added. “I haven't done anything except train for three months as hard as I could," Williams said. "From each match that I didn't win, then I tried to go back and learn from that and then get better."

While she was noncommittal about her future tennis plans, she noted that she will forever cherish the moment because she felt good physically for the first time in years.

“I think for me, getting back on the court was about giving myself a chance to play more healthy,” Williams explained.

“When you play unhealthy, it’s in your mind. It’s not just how you feel. You get stuck in your mind, too,” she said. “So it was nice to be freer.”

The US Open holds a special place in the iconic career of Williams. In 1997, she played in her first Grand Slam at 17 years old. She would go on to win the US Open in 2000 and 2001.