US Open. Women’s Singles
Venus Williams, a seven-time Grand Slam champion and two-time US Open winner, returned to New York with a tournament wild card and bid farewell to Arthur Ashe Stadium amid a standing ovation from the crowd.
Currently ranked No. 597 in the WTA rankings, Williams made her 25th career appearance at the US Open — a remarkable milestone in her legendary journey.
This was only her third tournament of 2025, following the DC Open and the Cincinnati WTA 1000, yet the American displayed flashes of her trademark power and competed with determination. In the opening set, Williams trailed 0-40 in the third game but fought back to hold and then strung together three straight games to take the lead. However, some struggles on serve prevented her from maintaining momentum, and Karolina Muchova responded with four consecutive games to secure the set.
After the match, the Czech admitted she felt “a lot of stress” facing such a tennis icon.
For Venus, this was another emotional chapter in her storied US Open history. Her victories in 2000 and 2001 established her as one of the game’s dominant forces, and her long rivalry alongside her sister Serena became part of the tournament’s golden era. From reaching four finals in New York to playing under the bright lights of Ashe year after year, Venus’s presence has been inseparable from the identity of the US Open for over two decades.