Venus Williams suffers lopsided first-round U.S. Open loss, but doesn't sound ready to say goodbye just yet
Venus Williams reacts during her match against Greet Minnen during the first round of the U.S. Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on Tuesday. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
Venus Williams is not going anywhere.
Not if she can help it. She loves the game too much. And anyone who doubts that didn’t watch the ugly beatdown she took in the first round of the U.S. Open Tuesday night in front of a packed Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The 43-year-old Williams suffered the most lopsided loss of her U.S. Open career, losing, 6-1, 6-1, to Greet Minnen, a Belgian qualifier whom she would have annihilated in her prime. It couldn’t have been easy for her to go through, to lose game after game to a player who wasn’t even born when she decided to turn pro.
It was the ugly kind of loss that spoon-fed the critics who questioned what Williams was doing in the tournament. It was the kind of loss that made even Williams’ biggest fans wonder if this would be her last U.S. Open, if it was time for her to follow her younger sister into retirement.
Williams — whose younger sister, Serena, stepped away from the sport after last year's US Open — owns seven major championships, including five at Wimbledon. But she has lost in the first or second round in each of her past 12 Grand Slam appearances.
While it’s wasn’t easy to watch, who are we to tell someone to quit doing something they clearly love? Who are we to tell a great player that they can’t attempt to retire on their own terms?
Minnen certainly wasn’t having any of it.
“In 1997, she had already played in a final here and I was just born,” Minnen said in her post-match interview. “It was great to play a legend. At 43 years old for her to be playing is just amazing.”
Amazing and brave.
When we think of Venus Williams, we think of her bravery and grace. We think of how she challenged bigotry early in her career and, along with her sister, inspired a generation of players of color to pick up a tennis racket. We think of her grace and how she was able win seven Grand Slam titles and managed to continue her pro career despite suffering from Sjögren's syndrome, an autoimmune disease.
I would argue that the bravery she showed trying to come back from injuries and play this season against players a fraction of her age fits right in with that narrative.
Williams didn’t have the kind of season she wanted and was forced to withdraw from an event last week in Cleveland because of a knee injury. Still, it was clear in her post-match interview that she thought she had a chance to win the match going in.
“I don't think I played badly. I think it was just one of those days where it's just unlucky,” she said. “My preparation was definitely minimal. But I don't think that it necessarily affected the bulk of my performance. I think there are just shots where my footwork wasn't really there. A lot of backhands I missed where my feet just weren't there. That's normal when you don't spend a lot of time on the court.”
Williams was asked whether she thought her story could be inspirational for others.
“Yeah, I think you should always go for your dreams,” she said. “For me, I haven't had a lot of chances to play this year or last year. I think the key for me is to just stay healthy and gain some momentum. I mean, that's the key for any athlete.
Williams doesn’t sound like a player who is ready to say goodbye. Instead, she sounds like a competitor who is trying to find out exactly what she can do if she can just keep her body in decent shape for an extended period of time. In fact, when asked about her future plans, Williams made it clear she was not announcing anything.
Said Williams with a smile: “I wouldn't tell you, so... I don't know. I don't know why you're asking.”
Barbara Barker is an award-winning columnist and features writer in the sports department at Newsday. She has covered sports in New York for more than 20 years.
