Venus Williams’ remarkable journey on the tennis court continued at the Cincinnati Open, where the 45-year-old American made her 1,099th career appearance. Although the result didn’t go her way, Williams showed grit and flashes of her trademark brilliance before falling to 22-year-old Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, 6-4, 6-4, in the opening round.
Williams, a former world No. 1 and multiple Grand Slam champion, endured a tough start, dropping two early service games to fall behind 1-4 in the first set. Her opponent, ranked 51 and in excellent form after a fourth-round showing at Wimbledon and a quarter-final finish in Montreal, stayed composed and consistent from the baseline, exploiting Williams’ early errors.
Despite the rocky start, Williams rallied. She retrieved both breaks to level the opening set at 4-4, drawing energy from the crowd and reminding fans of her fighting spirit. The second set saw her best moments as she used her forehand with aggression and landed powerful first serves to take a 4-3 lead. However, Bouzas Maneiro’s composure and shot selection ultimately saw her through to victory, holding off Williams in the critical closing stages of both sets.
For a player once devastated by early exits, Williams was measured in her response. With limited match play in recent years and expectations now focused more on performance than results, she was encouraged by her level. Her recent win over world No. 35 Peyton Stearns in Washington was a confidence booster, and Thursday’s performance reinforced her belief that more match play could elevate her game.
Looking ahead, Williams plans to continue her campaign at the US Open, participating in the newly revamped mixed doubles event alongside Reilly Opelka and likely returning to the singles draw with a wildcard entry. While many speculate this could be her final Grand Slam, Williams remains characteristically noncommittal, having defied expectations for decades.
Elsewhere in the tournament, Coco Gauff expressed her determination to give everything in pursuit of another Grand Slam title at the US Open. On the men’s side, British No. 3 Jacob Fearnley was eliminated in the first round, losing 6-1, 6-4 to Zizou Bergs of Belgium.
