Venus Williams on Serena Williams' absence at US Open: "I was very much aware that she wouldn't be playing, I knew that was coming"
On Tuesday (August 29), two-time US Open champion Venus Williams experienced the most one-sided defeat of her illustrious 24 appearances at the Grand Slam tournament.
She succumbed to a tough 6-1, 6-1 loss in the first round, with qualifier Greet Minnen delivering the blow. The Belgian hit 24 winners and saved all six break points she faced to beat the American legend.
Williams had her prime opportunity to stage a comeback when she earned a breakpoint in the very first game of the second set. Unfortunately, she couldn't capitalize on it.
The power-packed Minnen swiftly broke in the following game without conceding a point and went on to secure victory over the seven-time Grand Slam champion in a match that concluded in a brisk 75 minutes.
Venus Williams spoke at the press conference afterwards, where she was asked how she feels about her younger sister Serena Williams' absence from the US Open 2023.
The 43-year-old responded that she was aware that the 23-time Grand Slam champion would not be competing in the New York Slam and had grown accustomed to the possibility. Serena Williams announced her retirement from tennis in the 2022 US Open, where she competed in doubles with her big sister and in singles as well.
"I mean, I was very much aware that Serena wouldn't be playing the tournament, so I think I was okay. I've had a chance to get used to that idea even before she retired. I kind of knew that was coming," Venus Williams said.
She added that the key to competing in more matches is to stay healthy and gain some momentum, which is applicable to any athlete.
"Yeah, I think you should always go for your dreams. For me, I haven't had a lot of chances to play this year or last year. I think the key for me is to just stay healthy and gain some momentum. I mean, that's the key for any athlete," Venus Williams said.
"I don't think I played badly, it was just one of those days where it's just unlucky" - Venus Williams
Venus Williams then talked about her opponent Greet Minnen, saying that the 26-year-old played fantastically and that there was no shot she couldn't possibly pull off.
"I mean, I think first I have to give credit to my opponent. I mean, there wasn't a shot she couldn't make. Even when I hit really amazing shots, she just hit a winner or a dropshot," Venus said.
The American added that she didn't play poorly, but rather had an unlucky day where her shots and footwork didn't work the way they should have, which is normal given her lack of court time throughout the year.
"I don't think I played badly. I think it was just one of those days where it's just unlucky. I think there are just shots where my footwork wasn't really there. A lot of backhands I missed where my feet just weren't there. That's normal when you don't spend a lot of time on the court," Venus Williams said.