The first smattering of applause arrived after just two points and two unforced errors. It was well-meaning – a rallying cry from the crowd inside Arthur Ashe, an attempt to inject life into Venus Williams.
It was also a giveaway – proof that they had already seen enough to know that this first-round clash with 11th seed Karolina Muchova could become a brutal, sobering night for a 45-year-old now ranked 602 in the world.
What miserable pessimists they proved to be. After two hours back on primetime, back under the lights, Williams waved goodbye to the US Open for another year. Perhaps forever. But not before the two-time champion had given Muchova a fright and tussled hard with Father Time. ‘I was stressed,’ her opponent joked afterwards.
In the end, she succumbed 6-3 2-6 6-1 to the world No 13, who has reached back-to-back semifinals in New York. Make no mistake, however, Muchova was teetering at times – particularly in the second set, when Williams levelled the match and threatened to write another chapter of an astonishing career.
It was not to be. But on Monday night, no one lost. Not really. Certainly not those inside Arthur Ashe who had feared the worst.
Karolina Muchova secured a hard-fought win over Venus Williams in the US Open on Monday
The 45-year-old rolled back the years but was unable to reach the second round
Before stepping on to court, Williams called this US Open campaign – her 25th – a ‘celebration’ and how right she was. There won’t be many who begrudge her this wildcard after these three sets.
Among the crowd on Ashe? Maria Sharapova, who is seven years younger than Venus and has already been retired long enough to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
And Andrea Preti, Williams’ fiance and cheerleader-in-chief. There have been times during this comeback when she has wanted to ‘coast’ and ‘chill’. But he has dragged her back on track and here, he roared her through every point.
This was Williams’ first match at Flushing Meadows since 2023, when she won just two games and went out with a whimper.
Since then, she has been in the wilderness and on the operating table. She began this match as a 7/1 underdog. For a few minutes, those odds looked generous. But not for long.
The paint had barely dried on this cavernous arena when Williams made her bow in the US Open main draw. That was back in 1997, when she was just 17 and Arthur Ashe Stadium was on debut, too.
Nearly three decades on, this place is showing a few signs of age and Williams is surrounded by reminders about the passing of time.
A few hours before she left the changing rooms on Monday, Brazil’s Joao Fonseca sat in the bowels of Arthur Ashe discussing the prospect of one day playing on this show court.
He is one of tennis’ rising stars and – at 19 – he had just secured a first win here. Alas, Fonseca has a long way to go to emulating Williams’ first US Open.
Williams’ fiance, Andrea Preti, roars on his partner during the first-round match in New York
In 1997, she became the first unseeded player in the Open era to reach the final. Since then? Williams has gone on to win 23 Grand Slam titles – across singles and doubles. She has been a trailblazer for female athletes and young black players. She’s made nearly $43million in prize money, too.
Not much of that has been accrued in recent years, mind. Before accepting this wildcard, Williams had not won a match here since 2019 and she had not reached the second round of any major since 2021.
She hadn’t played at all for 16 months before making a shock return at the DC Open and joking that she needed the health insurance. Before long, Williams had become the oldest player to win a tour-level singles match in more than two decades.
But this was just her fourth match all year and the early signs could hardly have been more ominous. Williams began with a couple of unforced errors and then – after the crowd’s first intervention – a double fault. Within a few minutes, she trailed 2-0 and looked ripe for a hiding.
Every point Williams won drew huge cheers. After she sealed a first game, many inside Arthur Ashe rose to their feet.
But then something changed and Williams began to roll back the years. Suddenly she was moving with more vim and a few of those ferocious ground strokes began to find the lines.
Before long, the 45-year-old led 3-2 with a break point to extend her lead. Alas, Muchova shut that door and then wrest back control. The Czech reeled off four straight games to seal the first set.
Williams recovered from a dreadful start to take Muchova to three sets on Arthur Ashe
Williams rallied once more, however, breaking at the start of set two. She started to make more first serves and she refused to cede her advantage. Then, at 4-2, Williams turned the screw – dragging Muchova around the court and moving to within a game of levelling the match. Preti let out a huge roar of ‘Forza!’
He was back on his feet a few minutes later when, at the third attempt, Williams secured the second set. The stage was set for a blockbuster finale. But then Muchova wandered off court and returned reborn.
She raced into a 3-0 lead. Even as defeat hurtled into view, Williams dug out a few final acts of defiance including a 92mph forehand that drew a huge roar from the 45-year-old.
And then, after Muchova sealed victory, applause rang out around Arthur Ashe once more. This time, there was no pity or pessimism. This time, they were saluting a monumental effort from a legend of this place.
