Venus Williams is OUT of the US Open after losing in straight sets to Belgium’s Alison Van Uytvanck… but can keep her tournament hopes alive in the doubles alongside Serena!
- The unranked 42 year-old fell in straight sets, struggling in the New York heat
- She played in Arthur Ashe Stadium the day after her sister Serena was honored
- Venus and Serena will play together again in women’s doubles this week
One day after her sister received standing ovations and a goodbye ceremony, Venus Williams struggled at Arthur Ashe Stadium and lost in her first-round match.
Williams, a back-to-back US Open champion, fell to the world’s 49th ranked player Alison Van Uytvanck of Belgium by a score of 1-6, 6-7 (5-7)
It marked her 23rd year of playing in Flushing Meadows, but she hasn’t had the impact she used to. After making at least the semifinals in the tournament from 1997-2002, Serena hasn’t made a final since ’02 and last made the semifinals in 2017.
Venus quickly left the court following her loss as the tennis icon prepares for the doubles tournament with her sister.
Venus Williams fell in her first-round singles match at the US Open on Tuesday afternoon
Belgium’s Alison Van Uytvanck, the world’s no. 49 player, beat the former great in straight sets
Venus hasn’t made it past the first round in the US Open since 2019, when she won only one match.
She fell in the 2020 first round to 20th seed Karolina Muchova and was absent from the 2021 tournament.
The Williams sisters will continue their doubles career at this tournament, playing together in a Grand Slam tournament for the first time since the 2018 French Open.
The pair haven’t played together at Flushing Meadows since 2014, when they reached the quarterfinals before falling to Russian duo and eventual winners Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina.
Venus and Serena are undefeated in doubles finals of Grand Slam tournaments, with the most recent win coming in 2016 on Centre Court at Wimbledon.
The sisters take on Linda Noskova and Lucie Hradecka of the Czech Republic on September 1st.
Venus saluted the crowd and quickly left the court following her singles loss on Tuesday
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