NEW YORK -- Even at age 45, even after two years away from Grand Slam tennis, Venus Williams displayed some big serves and powerful groundstrokes at the U.S. Open on Monday night in front of a supportive crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium, before losing 6-3, 2-6, 6-1 to Karolina Muchova.

Venus Williams put up a fight. But she came up short Monday night after pushing No. 11 Karolína Muchová to a third set in the first round of the US Open.

That Venus Williams lost her first Grand Slam match in two years — and what she says will be her last match of 2025 — didn't really matter Monday night. Certainly not to the thousands of supportive spectators in the Arthur Ashe Stadium seats who roared for her best shots and,