New York (AFP) – Venus Williams said Saturday she is relishing the prospect of her record-extending 25th US Open appearance, saying the experience of playing in her home Grand Slam never gets old. The 45-year-old US tennis icon is poised to make what could be her farewell singles appearance at Flushing Meadows on Monday, where she will face 11th seed Karolina Muchova in the first round.
“Super thrilling to be back,” said Williams, who is competing in New York after being handed a wild card by organisers with her world ranking now standing at 610th. “It does not get old; it just gets more exciting,” she told reporters. Williams only returned to tennis in July following a 16-month absence from the sport, winning her opening match at the Washington Open before exiting in the second round.
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This year’s appearance comes some 28 years after she first graced the US Open as a 17-year-old in 1997, embarking on a fairytale run to the final where she lost to Martina Hingis. Following that dazzling debut, Williams would go on to forge a legacy as one of the greatest women’s players in history, winning seven Grand Slam singles titles — two US Opens, five Wimbledons — and 14 Grand Slam doubles titles alongside sister Serena.
Williams said Saturday that despite the litany of achievements over a career that has straddled four different decades, her passion for tennis remained undiminished. “I love my job,” Williams told reporters. “So there’s the joy right there.”
Asked what people could take away from her appearance, she replied: “I haven’t thought about what people would take away from it. I just mostly think about what I would get from it.” Williams meanwhile said she will take a relaxed approach into her 25th US Open appearance. “I want to be my best, and that’s the expectation I have for myself, to get the best out of me. And that’s all any player can ask for,” she said. “I haven’t played as much as the other players, so it’s a different challenge…I’m just trying to have fun, stay relaxed, and be my personal best.”
While Williams’ professional career may be drawing to a close, the US veteran says she expects to still be swinging a racquet well into old age. “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.”
Williams’ participation also falls on the 75th anniversary of African-American trailblazer Althea Gibson’s first appearance at the US national tennis championship in 1950. “I think the most important part is that we are celebrating it and recognizing it, because Althea accomplished so much, and a lot of it has not been given the credit it deserves and the attention and the praise,” Williams said. “I think that’s the most important part to me, just shining light on it and seeing, just acknowledging that.”
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