By Richard Pagliaro | Saturday, August 23, 2025
Photograph credit score: Corleve/Mark Peterson
Twenty-five years after Venus Williams gained her maiden US Open, she’s again within the singles draw.
Anticipate the 45-year-old legend to obtain a hero’s welcome when she steps on Arthur Ashe Stadium court docket to face former French Open finalist Karolina Muchova on Monday evening.
Assembly the media in Flushing Meadows at the moment, Venus Williams stated she has two main goals for her Grand Slam singles return: Be her finest and have enjoyable.
“I need to be my finest, and that’s the expectation I’ve for myself, to get the perfect out of me,” Williams stated. “And that’s all any participant can ask for. I haven’t performed as a lot as the opposite gamers, so it’s a unique problem whenever you’re coping with that.
“So I’m simply attempting to, like, have enjoyable, keep relaxed, and be my private finest.”
It will likely be the previous world No. 1’s first main match since she misplaced to qualifier Greet Minnen within the 2023 US Open first spherical.
In her comeback in Washington, DC final month, Williams defeated world No. 35 Peyton Stearns in straight units earlier than bowing to Magdalena Frech.
The Eleventh-seeded Muchova is a highly-skilled all-court participant who simply confronted Williams in Louis Armstrong Stadium final week. Andrey Rublev and Muchova topped Reilly Opelka and Williams within the US Open Blended Doubles opener.
The 2-time US Open champion stated she’s discovered to dial down her drives a bit and play with extra management within the three singles matches she’s performed this summer time.
“I did precisely what I wanted to do. Proper now, simply hit too laborious, it goes out,” Williams stated. “So I’m going
to attempt to hit much less laborious so it goes in. However the excellent news is I’m having enjoyable controlling the factors. It’s a fantastic sport model for me.”
There may be widespread hypothesis that is the seven-time Grand Slam champion’s farewell to Flushing Meadows 28 years after her run to her first US Open last. Williams hasn’t made a definitive assertion on her taking part in future, although at the moment she stated no matter her end in New York she is a life-long tennis participant.
“I believe I’ll at all times play tennis. It’s in my DNA. So it doesn’t matter if it’s now or 30 years from now,” Williams stated. “God prepared, I’ll be right here, we’ll all be right here, we’ll all be hitting balls. Perhaps I’ll
come again to observe.
“Perhaps I’ll be saying I did it higher, and it gained’t be true. However in any case, tennis will at all times be
one of the crucial vital elements of my life.”
