At 45 years old, Venus demonstrated her continued ability to compete against much younger opponents, maintaining a competitive balance against world No. 69 Olga Danilovic on 18/1. The American legend was close to victory, leading 4-0 in the third set. However, a physical decline towards the end of the match resulted in Venus losing six consecutive games, leading to an unfortunate exit.
While Williams' performance received praise from some fans, many others called for her to retire. "Venus is selfish; she is taking opportunities from others with a wildcard. Her time is over, and she should retire gracefully," one account wrote on X.
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Venus Williams hits a forehand during her match against Olga Danilovic in the first round of the Australian Open women's singles, at Melbourne Park, Australia on 18/1. *Photo: Reuters* |
Including the Australian Open, Venus has lost all three of her opening matches in tournaments since early 2026. She is currently ranked outside the top 500 globally and only participates in major tournaments via wildcard entries. Over the past three years, the seven-time Grand Slam champion has won only three of 19 matches played, a streak that includes seven consecutive losses.
"Venus has millions of USD in her account, and the 150,000 USD she earned after the first round of the Australian Open would mean a lot to another young player," a fan commented.
Following her loss to the 24-year-old Danilovic, Venus expressed pride in her performance. "I feel very good; this is probably the best performance I've had since my return," the American player stated. "I am learning to rebuild everything after a long break from competition and feel I am playing better after each match. I was quite excited to have come close to winning a Grand Slam."
Venus set a record as the oldest female player to compete in the main draw singles at the Australian Open. She will remain in Melbourne this week to focus on the women's doubles event, where she is partnered with Ekaterina Alexandrova.
In other women's singles matches, top seeds secured easy first-round victories. After world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka defeated Rakotomanja Rajaonah 6-4, 6-1, the top three American players: Coco Gauff, Amanda Anisimova, and Jessica Pegula, also advanced in two sets.
Vy Anh
