In a disappointing turn of events, Venus Williams bid farewell to the US Open singles draw in the first round after a crushing defeat at the hands of Greet Minnen from Belgium. Williams, who received a wildcard entry to the tournament, was outplayed by Minnen in a 6-1, 6-1 loss at Arthur Ashe Stadium. This defeat marked Williams’ heaviest loss at the US Open since her debut in 1997.
Williams admitted that her preparation for the tournament was lacking, but she didn’t attribute her performance solely to that factor. She acknowledged that her footwork was off in certain shots, particularly on her backhands. Nevertheless, Williams considered these mistakes normal when one hasn’t spent much time on the court.
Leading up to the tournament, the seven-time Grand Slam champion had only played nine tour-level matches this year, managing to secure three victories. As for her match against Minnen, Williams found herself trailing with a 0-4 deficit in the first set before finally achieving a hold of serve and earning a point on the scoreboard. However, Minnen’s varied shot selection made it difficult for Williams to regain control. Minnen went on to dominate the second set, taking a commanding 5-0 lead and ultimately securing the victory as Williams’s forehand landed in the net.
Williams commended her opponent’s outstanding performance, marveling at her skills and suggesting that if Minnen continued to play at this level, she could potentially achieve great success in the tennis world. Next, Minnen will face Sachia Vickery, another American player, in her quest to reach the third round of a Grand Slam tournament for the second time in her career.
Elsewhere in the women’s singles draw, last year’s runner-up Ons Jabeur experienced physical struggles during her match against Camila Osorio. Jabeur, who had difficulty breathing and coughed frequently between points, was evaluated by a doctor during the first set. Despite her ailments, Jabeur displayed resilience and managed to secure a 7-5, 7-6(7-4) victory, marking her 50th Grand Slam singles win. Jabeur acknowledged the challenging nature of the match and apologized to her opponent for the disruption caused by the medical evaluation.
Jabeur’s next opponent will be Linda Nosková from the Czech Republic in the second round. The top-ranked players in the women’s draw, including second-seeded Aryna Sabalenka from Belarus and American Jessica Pegula, secured straight-set wins. However, France’s seventh-seed Caroline Garcia suffered a defeat at the hands of China’s Wang Yafan in a 6-4, 6-1 match.
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