Venus Williams lost her first singles match in nearly 12 months at the Citi Open in Washington, and the tennis legend said she was rusty during the contest.
Williams had not played singles at a tournament since her Chicago Women's Open first-round defeat last August. Some worried the seven-time Grand Slam champion would never return to the singles court.
The 42-year-old's first tournament appearance since the Chicago Women's Open was at Wimbledon. She played mixed doubles alongside Jamie Murray but they fell in the second round at SW19.
There was a good crowd at the Citi Open to watch Williams' match against Rebecca Marino. The home favorite delighted the fans by winning the opening set 6-4, hitting some trademark winners along the way.
Unfortunately for Williams, she could not sustain that level and lost 6-4, 1-6, 4-6. However, it was still a positive first match in close to a year for the five-time Wimbledon winner, and she has a platform from which to build.
Williams spoke about having chances to win the match in the third set despite being rusty. But she still sounded positive during the interview and looks forward to her next tournament appearance at the Canadian Open.
"Just a little rusty. I really put myself in good positions in the third set, too. Just trying to shake off some rust. That’s just to be expected. All I can do is just play another tournament and play better. I wish I could have pulled this match through for the crowd and for the tournament. But (it) doesn’t always work out.”
It is unclear whether challenging at big tournaments is a realistic goal for Williams. At 42, she is already defying the odds just by being back on the court. Her sister and fellow legend of the sport, Serena Williams, also returned to tennis recently, and they can push each other.