Alright, so the US Open rolled around again this year, 2023. Like I always do, I started keeping an eye on the schedules, seeing who was playing.
Then I saw it – Venus Williams got a wildcard. Man, that caught my attention. Venus! A true legend. Had to see how she’d fare this time around.
Getting Ready to Watch
So, I made sure I knew when her first-round match was. Found out she was playing against Greet Minnen from Belgium. Didn’t know much about Minnen, honestly, but my focus was all on Venus.
I cleared some time, got myself settled. You know how it is, trying to catch these matches live if possible, or at least follow the scores closely if I’m busy. This time, I managed to tune in.
Watching the Match
Okay, the match started. Right from the beginning, you could kinda tell things weren’t clicking for Venus.
- Movement seemed a bit tough.
- Lots of unforced errors piling up.
- Her opponent, Minnen, was playing solid, consistent tennis.
It was rough viewing, gotta be honest. The score reflected it pretty starkly. First set went quick, 6-1 against Venus. I hoped maybe she’d find a rhythm in the second set, you know, turn things around like champions sometimes do.
But nah, the second set felt pretty much the same. Minnen kept the pressure on, and Venus just couldn’t seem to find answers. More errors, struggles on serve. It ended 6-1 again.
My Thoughts After
Wow. That was fast. And kinda brutal. Seeing a legend like Venus lose like that, 6-1, 6-1, it stings a bit, even as just a fan watching from my couch.
You feel for her. She’s given so much to the sport. But you also gotta give credit to Minnen, she played her game and didn’t back down.
Still, the big thing for me was just seeing Venus out there. Competing. At 43! Think about that. The dedication to still train, still show up, still put yourself on that huge stage… that takes guts. Serious respect for that, win or lose.
It wasn’t the fairytale return maybe some hoped for, not this time anyway. But watching Venus Williams play at the US Open in 2023? Yeah, I made sure to witness that. It’s history, in its own way.
