It is almost easy to forget just how great Venus Williams once was as a player. Before she was eclipsed by her sister, Serena Williams, Venus reached No. 1 on the WTA tour and won seven Grand Slams. She basically owned Wimbledon.
But it's been nearly two decades since she won a major, and she has never won the Australian Open. She won't win the Grand Slam in 2026, either, but she did make history in the first round of the major in Melbourne. The bittersweetness came at the end.
By playing at all, she became the oldest player to participate in the main draw of singles at the Australian Open. She is 45 years old, and while she hasn't been nearly as successful in recent years, she hasn't ever truly quit the sport. She also has always been a class act and a player one should want to root for.
Venus Williams breaks a record at the Australian Open and then loses
But in her opening-round match against Olga Danilovic, the current WTA No. 68 who has as many career titles as Venus Williams has US Open titles (two), Williams took the first set 7-6(5) and was playing with great pace on her forehand. In the second set, Danilovic adjusted and got a break to win the set 6-3.
The final set saw Venus Williams jump out to a 4-0 lead, and she appeared on the verge of becoming the oldest player to ever win a match at the Australian Open, but she dipped in form and fitness, and Danilovic rushed back to win the final six games to win the match.
The question now is how much more Venus Williams will play. She entered the Aussie Open on a five-match losing streak, and she can now make that six. Playing professional tennis is one thing, but playing and continuing to lose is another. One has to factor in the cost of travel and everything else.
This isn't to say that she should retire. That is up to her, and she has earned that right. For tennis fans, we might ask ourselves if we want to keep watching a diminished star who can no longer win.