Venus Williams bows out in first round of women’s singles at US Open
It’s hard to believe Venus Williams’s quest to become a Grand Slam singles champion has come to an end.
The 41-year-old has reached three Wimbledon finals, won the U.S. Open and finished runner-up at the Australian Open, but she hasn’t won a Grand Slam event since Wimbledon in 2016.
For Williams, who came back from an injury-marred 2016 season to earn a place at the 2018 tournament, the past few weeks have been difficult. And she’s had to endure a number of disappointing results in the US Open.
She fell to compatriot Taylor Townsend in the first round, and then she was eliminated in the second round by the qualifier Kateryna Kozlova. She now has a new Wimbledon finalist on her hands as well, someone who has more world-class wins than any other player in the Open era.
There’s one more thing on her mind as she prepares for her next tournament, a WTA Tour event that will see her compete in Stuttgart on an outdoor clay court.
So, in a round of her greatest achievements, we’re going to give it up to Venus.
“I’m going to make history one more time,” she said.
And if history has taught us anything, it’s that Venus will make history with a record-breaking performance at the US Open.
The 41-year-old has won 29 titles, including a record four Grand Slam singles titles. The last three of those came at Flushing Meadows, where she won three majors. The U.S. Open is her fourth major, but it could be her last.
“That’s the biggest tournament of the year for me,” she said. “It’s where you make history. This last Slam is my third one, so I’m looking forward to the next one.”