Venus Williams’ preparation for the 2026 Australian Open could certainly have gone better, but the big players usually reserve themselves for the biggest stages.
Especially when said player is 45 years old, and likely not inundated with the kind of energy she might have had two decades ago.
The American superstar has featured in two tournaments already in 2026, suffering first-round exits in Auckland and at the Hobart International.
And so, she heads to Melbourne without a win under her belt.
Venus Williams has spoken about her preparation, and despite those worrying results, she remains positive.
Venus Williams speaks after losing in Australia
Chatting to the official Hobart International website after her first-round loss to Tajana Maria, she took time to praise her unorthodox opponent.
Williams admitted: “My opponent (Maria) played really well, so I have to give her a lot of credit. The conditions were tough. The wind made it hard to get my shots where I wanted them. Her game really worked well with the wind. It was kind of like a knuckleball, so I didn’t adjust as quickly as I wanted. It just wasn’t my day.”
How far will Venus Williams go at the Australian Open?
The seven-time Grand Slam champion added: “I definitely haven’t played someone like that before, so it was a different experience. Even if I didn’t win, I was constantly in control of the points, which is where I want to be. Some players think you have to be young to succeed, but you can take your time. We all get to create our own path, and that’s what life’s about. I’m creating my own.”
She had to speak about the conditions, which seemed uncomfortable to play in, but explained her delight at managing to put what she had been working on in her pre-season into practice.
Williams claimed: “Even though I couldn’t serve as well as I wanted, I’ve been working on the speed of my serve. Today I was able to get it at least ten kilometres faster than last week, even with the wind. That was one of my goals to serve bigger, so that’s a positive I can take from today.”
| Event | Opponent | Date | Result |
| 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 |
| Washington Open | Magdalena Frech | July 2025 | Loss |
Venus Williams rated her current level ahead of the Australian Open just a few days ago, and it’s nice to see her remain so positive despite failing to secure a win.
Venus Williams dealt a nightmare Australian Open draw
Naturally, as a wildcard at a Grand Slam, the likelihood is that the draw will not favour you.
Not even someone as legendary as Venus Williams was safe from a nightmare run of fixtures, kicking off her Australian Open campaign against the tricky left-handed Olga Danilović.
Were she to beat the Serbian, which would already mark a huge scalp, Coco Gauff is expected to await her in the second round.
These two have played twice before, with their most notable clash being at Wimbledon in 2019. There, a 15-year-old Gauff toppled Williams in straight sets, thus announcing herself onto the professional tennis tour.
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Whilst fans will likely be praying for a repeat of this showdown, Williams’ chances of a deep run have been severely hampered by the quality of these opening two rounds.
Hopefully she can roll back the years to give the tennis world another reason to celebrate her brilliance, as if they needed any more.
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