Venus Williams’ time at the Australian Open has already come to an end, after a first round loss to Olga Danilović.
Williams competed well at the Australian Open, and even took the first set from her opponent who was two decades younger than her.
The American icon had a 4-0 lead in the deciding set, but lost six games in a row to exit the Grand Slam at the first hurdle.
Williams’ compatriot, Frances Tiafoe, shared his opinion on the icon continuing to play Grand Slams in her forties.
Frances Tiafoe says Venus Williams’ tennis return is ‘inspiring’
While some have suggested that Williams should not receive wild cards for Grand Slams anymore, Tiafoe is a huge fan of seeing the American great on the court still.
Speaking after his victory over Jason Kubler, the world number 34 said: “She wants to go out, she goes on her own terms. Whenever that is, it doesn’t matter. She packs arenas. Venus Williams, she wants to go play, great.
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“And she’s playing. I mean, she beat Peyton Stearns in D.C. She’s out here, like, battling Muchova at the Open. At 45 [she] is like grinding these girls. It’s not she’s out here getting snips.
“It is like, Why not? She just got married. Her husband out here traveling. She ain’t missing nothing. She’s got cheese. So, I mean, who cares? If you want to do it, go do it. Hats off to her, man. It’s inspiring.
“I will not be doing that at 45 (laughing). But you never know. It is inspiring to still see a legend like that come out here and want to do it and want to train and want to still get better.
“Yeah, high-level respect. That respect for me goes back to, I mean, years and years. Words can’t describe what the Williams sisters mean to me.”
Williams also played the Brisbane International and the Hobart International, but she is yet to win a match in singles action this season.
Venus Williams misses out on high-profile second round match
For a long time in the deciding set, it looked as if Williams was about to secure her place in the second round of the Australian Open.
With a win, she would have been halfway there to setting up a third match with her compatriot, Coco Gauff.
Pick your Australian Open dark horse!
Williams and Gauff first met at Wimbledon in 2019 when the latter was just 15, and they followed it up with a first round match at the Australian Open six months later.
Gauff won both of those matches, with the American veteran failing to take a set off her natural successor.
Gauff faces a first round match against Kamilla Rakhimova at the Australian Open and will now face Danilović with a win.
