Venus Williams came so close to doing the unthinkable at the Australian Open earlier today, but saw her chances of qualification into the second round dashed by Olga Danilovic.
Racing into a one-set lead, the American rolled back the years with a hugely impressive tiebreak win.
However, her Serbian opponent came out fighting and would win the second twice as fast.
The match was finely poised, but seemed destined to go Venus Williams’ way when she established a 4-0 advantage in the deciding third set.
That was, until Danilovic rallied in remarkable fashion, reeling off six straight games to win the set and the match.
Olga Danilovic reacts after beating Venus Williams
Speaking on-court immediately after the match, naturally, much of the conversation centred around Venus.
After all, at 45 years old, she put on such a superb performance and arguably should have claimed the victory herself.
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Asked how it felt to face someone of her stature, Danilovic admitted it was ‘not easy.’
She continued: “When we were walking there, you know, I mean, I told myself before the match I really want to take this moment and I cannot say enjoy, because it’s tough to enjoy at the moment on court, but you know, these things don’t happen every day.
“Playing against Venus Williams is something that I cannot take for granted, but there was a lot of nerves. I mean, on the 4-0 [in the third set], I just said to myself, okay, just play, you know, just take everything out and just play, point by point.
“And I’m very happy I managed to get this one, but it was such a pleasure playing such a legend.
| Event | Opponent | Date | Result |
| Australian Open | Olga Danilovic | January 2026 | Loss |
| Hobart International | Tatjana Maria | January 2026 | Loss |
| ASB Classic | Magda Linette | January 2026 | Loss |
| US Open | Karolina Muchova | August 2025 | Loss |
| Cincinnati Open | Jessica Bouzas Maneiro | August 2025 | Loss |
Then speaking about how she dealt with the occasion, Danilovic continued: “You know, I tried not to, because I think that gets you nervous.
“So I tried to just look at this yellow ball and just move my hand, move my legs, and it was such an amazing atmosphere, you know, obviously, more people was for her, but I saw a lot of Serbian flags, a lot of Serbian people. I heard Serbian, and that is why I love Australia. I love our people coming here. They really help me a lot, honestly. It was electric.”
Venus Williams revealed how much she had been training ahead of the Australian Open, and should she maintain this momentum after such a strong showing, there’s no reason why a deeper run can’t be targeted at another Grand Slam this year.
Venus Williams’ missed opportunity at the Australian Open
Whether it be Danilovic improving her level or Williams’ physicality diminishing, it was tough to watch the match slowly slip away from the legendary veteran.
And, at 4-0 in the third set, she seemed destined to set up an Australian Open second-round clash with one of Coco Gauff or Kamilla Rakhimova.
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She will likely rue the handful of missed opportunities, not least at that 4-4 game, where so many game points came and went before she conceded the crucial break.
Alas, Venus should be so proud once again of the incredible performances she continues to put in at the highest level of tennis, despite being well over a decade older than most of her opponents.
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