Venus Williams Makes History at Australian Open at Forty-five but Misses Victory
Tennis icon becomes oldest woman to play in the main singles draw at Melbourne Park but is edged out in a dramatic first-round match
Venus Williams, the American tennis legend, etched her name into Australian Open history on Sunday by becoming the oldest woman ever to compete in the tournament’s singles main draw at the age of forty-five, yet she fell just short of victory in a gripping opening match.
Entering the year’s first Grand Slam on a wildcard, Williams faced twenty-four-year-old Olga Danilovic and fought fiercely, taking the first set in a tiebreak before surrendering the second.
In the decisive third set, Williams surged to a four-love lead, the largest advantage of the match, but Danilovic mounted an extraordinary comeback, winning six consecutive games to triumph 6-7, 6-3, 6-4 after two hours and seventeen minutes.
The seven-time major champion, ranked outside the top five hundred, served for the match and battled valiantly in an extended service game lasting over fourteen minutes before conceding the crucial break.
The crowd at John Cain Arena acknowledged Williams’s remarkable career with a standing ovation as she departed the court with a smile and a wave despite the defeat, which extended her recent streak of first-round exits at Grand Slam events.
Williams, competing in Melbourne for the first time since 2021 and in her twenty-second Australian Open, reflected on the match as an “amazing journey” and emphasised her ongoing efforts to refine her game, particularly after time away with health challenges and surgical recovery.
Her performance, underpinned by powerful serving and bold groundstrokes, underscored her enduring presence in the sport even as she plans to continue competing in the doubles draw and consider her schedule for the remainder of the season.
Danilovic, expressing admiration for her illustrious opponent, described the experience of playing Williams as a privilege and credited her calm focus at four-love down for sparking the comeback.
Williams’s milestone appearance adds another chapter to her storied career, which has spanned nearly three decades and includes two runner-up finishes in Australia, and underscores her lasting impact on tennis as both a competitor and a trailblazer.
Entering the year’s first Grand Slam on a wildcard, Williams faced twenty-four-year-old Olga Danilovic and fought fiercely, taking the first set in a tiebreak before surrendering the second.
In the decisive third set, Williams surged to a four-love lead, the largest advantage of the match, but Danilovic mounted an extraordinary comeback, winning six consecutive games to triumph 6-7, 6-3, 6-4 after two hours and seventeen minutes.
The seven-time major champion, ranked outside the top five hundred, served for the match and battled valiantly in an extended service game lasting over fourteen minutes before conceding the crucial break.
The crowd at John Cain Arena acknowledged Williams’s remarkable career with a standing ovation as she departed the court with a smile and a wave despite the defeat, which extended her recent streak of first-round exits at Grand Slam events.
Williams, competing in Melbourne for the first time since 2021 and in her twenty-second Australian Open, reflected on the match as an “amazing journey” and emphasised her ongoing efforts to refine her game, particularly after time away with health challenges and surgical recovery.
Her performance, underpinned by powerful serving and bold groundstrokes, underscored her enduring presence in the sport even as she plans to continue competing in the doubles draw and consider her schedule for the remainder of the season.
Danilovic, expressing admiration for her illustrious opponent, described the experience of playing Williams as a privilege and credited her calm focus at four-love down for sparking the comeback.
Williams’s milestone appearance adds another chapter to her storied career, which has spanned nearly three decades and includes two runner-up finishes in Australia, and underscores her lasting impact on tennis as both a competitor and a trailblazer.
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