Venus Williams played in both the singles and ladies’ doubles at the Australian Open this year, but sadly suffered two first-round defeats.
The former was easily the most heartbreaking of the two though, having led Olga Danilovic 4-0 in the deciding third set, before losing six straight games and the match.
It marked a disappointing end to the first Grand Slam of the year, but it was still a true delight to see a legend of the sport present on one of its biggest stages once again.
The hope is that she will continue to show up throughout the year, with rumours that Serena Williams could come out of retirement leading many to predict a doubles reunion could be on the cards as well.
Alas, that is all just conjecture for now, with Venus Williams having now taken to social media to review last week’s action.
Venus Williams breaks her silence after exiting the Australian Open
It’s supremely refreshing to see how committed this legendary 45-year-old remains to the sport, desperate to still learn despite her age, experience, and all she’s accomplished.
That hunger for greater knowledge was exhibited in this latest post, as she took to X to write: “Melbourne. @AustralianOpen, thank you! I’m proud of where I am, what I’m learning, and how I’m preparing for the next one. See you soon”.
Should Venus Williams be given a wildcard for the 2026 Australian Open?
Venus rated her level immediately after her loss to Danilovic, and again, her positivity for what she can bring in the future is immeasurable.
She has won so much and given everything to tennis, and yet she remains as hungry as ever.
It remains unclear where the six-time Grand Slam champion will play next, but having previously outlined her desire to stick around in America, we can expect to see her show up at the Sunshine Double in Miami and Indian Wells.
How did Venus Williams react to blowing her big lead at the Australian Open?
Speaking at her Australian Open press conference after the defeat, Williams was in high spirits despite the crushing nature of her defeat.
Asked about that 4-0 lead, she smiled as she noted: “Yeah, at 4-Love I felt good. Also it’s the biggest lead I’ve had since I’ve been back (smiling).”
Williams then admitted: “In a lot of ways I’m having to relearn how to do things again, if that makes any sense.
“I’m really proud of my effort today because I’m playing better with each match, getting to the places that I want to get to. Right now I’m just going to have to keep going forward and working on myself and working to control my errors.
“Those are things, too, that come with playing extra matches, like getting your feet in the exact right position, you know, choosing the right shots, all of those things that I’m still learning. It’s kind of weird, but it’s super exciting to have played that well and to get myself in that position and come very close.”
What do you think about Naomi Osaka’s Australian Open outfit?
This only reaffirms her dedication to progressing despite her age, and confirms that we will be seeing a lot more of her throughout 2026.
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