Venus Williams bows out in first round of women’s singles at US Open
Venus Williams’ career ended on a dark, rainy Wednesday night just as it began, in the first round of the US Open.
And it was raining as Williams’ tournament began in the first round of the US Open. That’s how much she had loved the course, the sun and the fans.
Williams, a two-time Wimbledon champion, was the favorite entering the final against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, a Russian with a powerful serve.
“A lot of people don’t see what I see,” said Williams after her first-round loss. “I see what they see. I see every moment, every point, every serve, every shot, every word. I see from their perspective. It’s not necessarily what I see.”
Williams’ final-round loss marked the end of an era in women’s tennis, but it did not change the perception of the sport.
But Williams admitted after her defeat that she never thought of herself as the best player. She said, “The way I grew up is, I’m not really looking for that. I think it’s more like, I see it all. I see it all. That’s how I want to continue. I don’t want any more records. But I can be the greatest because of who I am as a person.”
On Wednesday night, she would be best remembered by the fans for failing.
In many ways, the biggest story in tennis today is not Serena, her opponent in the final or her opponent in the semifinal, who is either world number one or world number two, or a world number three.
The true story is that of a great many players, some of whom were once, in the final. Now they are retired.
Williams, on the other hand, will have a career and, barring injury, will still be