After the match ended, the spectators at the main stadium gave her a standing ovation, and Venus, too, responded with a smile
Venus Williams (Pic: X/@mubadalacitidc)
Venus Williams's winning streak came to an end after her return to the sport after a long break. At the DC Open, the 45-year-old athlete suffered a loss in the women's singles match against Magdalena Frech by 2-6, 2-6.
After the match ended, the spectators at the main stadium gave her a standing ovation, and Venus, too, responded with a smile.
She has not featured in any of the other tournaments in more than a year, and even if her run at the DC Open has come to an end, making her presence with the racket was a big one for Williams.
Reflecting on her loss, Venus said that it was a learning experience for her.
"Oh, I had so much fun. Definitely not the result I wanted, but still a learning experience. The part about sport (and) life is that you never stop learning," she said.
She also thanked the DC fans by saying they are 'epic'.
"I got to play a lot of matches here, and that definitely was a plus. The fans in D.C. are just epic. I couldn't have been happier with my first week back," she added.
Earlier, she secured a victory over Peyton Stearns in her first round of the women's singles category. With this win, she became the second-oldest woman to win a tour-level singles match since Martina Navratilova. The Czech Republic-born former tennis athlete made her appearance on the court at the age of 47 in 2004.
After securing the win over Venus Williams, Frech said, "I can't even imagine how she pushes herself".
Frech is a 27-year-old from Poland whose best Grand Slam showing was a run to the fourth round at the 2024 Australian Open before losing to Coco Gauff.
Following the win, Magdalena Frech will now clash against Elena Rybakina in the quarter-final of the DC Open.
In other action, top-seeded Jessica Pegula lost to 2021 U.S. Open runner-up Leylah Fernandez 6-3, 1-6, 7-5, and Emma Raducanu dominated her first career matchup against Naomi Osaka, winning the showdown between past U.S. Open champions 6-4, 6-2.
(With AP Inputs)
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