Venus Williams returned to the Grand Slam tennis on Monday night at the US Open against 2023 French Open finalist Karolina Muchova at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Williams’ comeback was being closely watched as this was her first major match in two years. But even after showcasing an exceptional performance, the American tennis icon faced a first-round defeat and lost in 3 sets to 11th seed Muchova.
Venus Williams vs Karolina Muchova: Key Highlights
- Muchova claimed the first set with two crucial serve breaks. Williams bounced back in the second set, attacking the net and hitting powerful shots to break early.
- A backhand winner gave Williams a double break and a 5-2 lead, and though it took three set points, she sealed the set when Muchova hit a forehand long. It was Williams’ first set win at the US Open since 2020.
- But in the deciding set, Muchova, a US Open semi-finalist for the last two years, stepped up her game. As Williams’ energy dipped, the Czech raced through the set to finish the match in two hours, ending the American veteran’s latest comeback attempt.
- Despite the defeat, Williams received loud cheers for every point she won and walked off the court while receiving a standing ovation from the crowd.
Williams’ much awaited return to the Grand Slam tennis ended after she lost 6-3, 2-6, 6-1 to 29-year-old Muchova, who interestingly, was not even born when Williams turned into a professional tennis player in 1994.
‘I just tried to block the noise’: Muchova after defeating Williams
After the match, Karolina Muchova admitted that she was stressed and felt nervous because of the loud and electric atmosphere in the stadium. She said it was special to play against someone as legendary as Venus Williams and felt grateful to come out with the win. Muchova added that she tried to shut out the noise from the crowd and concentrate only on her own game.