By Richard Pagliaro | Saturday, August 23, 2025
Photo credit: Corleve/Mark Peterson
Twenty-five years after Venus Williams won her maiden US Open, she’s back in the singles draw.
Expect the 45-year-old legend to receive a hero’s welcome when she steps on Arthur Ashe Stadium court to face former French Open finalist Karolina Muchova on Monday night.
Meeting the media in Flushing Meadows today, Venus Williams said she has two primary aims for her Grand Slam singles return: Be her best and have fun.
“I want to be my best, and that’s the expectation I have for myself, to get the best out of me,” Williams said. “And that’s all any player can ask for. I haven’t played as much as the other players, so it’s a different challenge when you’re dealing with that.
“So I’m just trying to, like, have fun, stay relaxed, and be my personal best.”
It will be the former world No. 1’s first major match since she lost to qualifier Greet Minnen in the 2023 US Open first round.
In her comeback in Washington, DC last month, Williams defeated world No. 35 Peyton Stearns in straight sets before bowing to Magdalena Frech.
The 11th-seeded Muchova is a highly-skilled all-court player who just faced Williams in Louis Armstrong Stadium last week. Andrey Rublev and Muchova topped Reilly Opelka and Williams in the US Open Mixed Doubles opener.
The two-time US Open champion said she’s learned to dial down her drives a bit and play with more control in the three singles matches she’s played this summer.
“I did exactly what I needed to do. Right now, just hit too hard, it goes out,” Williams said. “So I’m going
to try to hit less hard so it goes in. But the good news is I’m having fun controlling the points. It’s a great game style for me.”
There is widespread speculation this is the seven-time Grand Slam champion’s farewell to Flushing Meadows 28 years after her run to her first US Open final. Williams hasn’t made a definitive statement on her playing future, though today she said regardless of her result in New York she is a life-long tennis player.
“I think I’ll always play tennis. It’s in my DNA. So it doesn’t matter if it’s now or 30 years from now,” Williams said. “God willing, I’ll be here, we’ll all be here, we’ll all be hitting balls. Maybe I’ll
come back to watch.
“Maybe I’ll be saying I did it better, and it won’t be true. But in any case, tennis will always be
one of the most important parts of my life.”
