US Open 2025: Venus Williams Refuses to Rule Out Retirement After Opening Round Loss at Flushing Meadows

Tennis legend Venus Williams, who made an inspirational comeback to the sport this year and was granted a wildcard for the US Open 2025, lost her opening round match to Karolina Muchova despite a spirited showing from the veteran multi-time Grand Slam winner. 

Williams was outdone 6-3, 2-6, 6-1 by her younger opponent and seemed to run out of steam by the time the third set came around as she was only able to win 1 game. 

However, her comeback story in itself has been inspirational - but she has not yet decided whether or not she wants to continue on in the 2026 season. 

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No Tennis in 2026 For Venus Williams?

When quizzed after the match over whether or not she would be a part of the Australian Open 2026, she did not commit to playing there. 

"That (Australian Open) is kind of far too. My goal is to do what I want to do. I'm so grateful for all the folks who gave me a wild card. They could have said, 'Hey, listen, you've been gone too long, you haven't won a lot of matches in the last few years.' I wasn't lucky with my health and with injuries," she said after the match. 

It is worth noting that her current ranking would not permit her to be part of the tournament, but she can be awarded a wildcard like she was for the Flushing Meadows Grand Slam. 

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Williams Relishes Second Chance

The elder Williams sister, although now dwarfed by her younger sister's legacy, remains a trailblazer in her own right and has won 7 singles Grand Slam titles. 

Her comeback is all the more inspirational when you factor in the fact that she had to take a 16-month break to undergo surgery to remove fibroids from her uterus. 

And she said that her comeback was mainly to give herself a chance to play healthy and prove to herself that she still has it. 

“What did I prove to myself? I think for me getting back on the court was about giving myself a chance to play more healthy. When you play unhealthy, it's in your mind. It's not just how you feel. You get stuck in your mind too. It was nice to be freer." 

She beat Peyton Sterns in her first match since coming back but then suffered back-to-back losses, first to Magdalena Frech in the Washinton Open and then to Jessica Bouzas in the Cincinnati Open.