US Open 2023: Venus Williams blown out in 1st round by qualifier Greet Minnen
Venus Williams bowed out in the first round of her 24th appearance at the US Open on Tuesday, furthering speculation about whether it's time for one of the greatest tennis players ever to retire.
The seven-time Grand Slam singles champion lost 6-1, 6-1 to German qualifier Greet Minnen in front of a supportive crowd at New York City's Arthur Ashe Stadium. Cheers erupted every time Williams grabbed a point, but that didn't negate the fact that the fans were watching a 43-year-old face a 26-year-old.
Minnen, in fact, was born three years after Williams turned pro in 1994 and the year Williams reached her first Grand Slam final, a loss to Martina Hingis at the same Arthur Ashe Stadium.
"It was incredible to play a legend like her," Minnen told ESPN after the match. "I have huge respect for her to be there at 43 years old. That's amazing."
Williams began the match on a rough note, ceding triple-break point to Minnen and later double-faulting to fall behind two breaks. It wasn't a total blowout at the start — Williams reached deuce in three of the first four games — but Williams still looked a step behind the form that put her in a Grand Slam final as recently as 2017, when she made it to the Australian Open and Wimbledon finals.
Those matches now feel like the distant past, with Williams having not won a Grand Slam match since Wimbledon in 2021, when she lost in the second round, and having not won a US Open match since 2019. There was little reason to expect a reversal by the time Minnen broke Williams a third time to win the first set, as the ESPN broadcast noted that Williams hadn't won a match after losing the first set in four years.
Even so, the second set was lopsided to the point of discomfort. Williams won five points total in the first five games. The final numbers weren't pretty, either, as Williams lost three of 20 second-serve points, went 0-for-6 on break points and notched only 10 winners to Minnen's 24.
"She has amazing strokes, amazing serve, so I really tried to play aggressive, make her move as much as possible, even hit a few drop shots, which I'm not used to," Minnen said of her game plan.
Williams reached the US Open as a wild card, having struggled with injuries and on the court all year. She withdrew from a Cleveland event the previous week due to a knee injury and missed five months earlier this year due to a leg injury.
Minnen will advance to the second round for the second time at the US Open and third time at a Grand Slam. She will next face American qualifier Sachia Vickery.
