At 43 years old, Venus Williams stepped onto Centre Court for her 24th Wimbledon appearance to a rousing standing ovation. She showcased her pre-match routine, stretching a green exercise band overhead, a familiar sight for tennis fans. However, her match against Elina Svitolina took a turn for the worse when, just shy of a 3-0 lead, Williams slipped on the grass, injuring her right knee. Despite receiving medical attention and taping, the injury hampered her performance, leading to a 6-4, 6-3 loss to the 2019 Wimbledon semifinalist.
Williams, the oldest player in this year's tournament and the fourth-oldest to compete in Wimbledon's main draw, faced a much younger opponent in Svitolina, who was merely a toddler when Williams debuted at Wimbledon in 1997. Williams' impressive Wimbledon history includes five singles titles (2000, 2001, 2005, 2007, and 2008) and two U.S. Open singles titles, in addition to 14 women's doubles titles alongside her sister, Serena.
While Williams has been a four-time Wimbledon finalist, her recent Grand Slam performances have been less successful. Since her resurgent 2017 season, which included two major finals and a semifinal appearance, she has experienced first-round exits in 10 of her last 15 Grand Slam tournaments. This can be partly attributed to her 2011 diagnosis of Sjögren’s syndrome, an autoimmune disease known to cause joint pain and fatigue. Despite flashes of her former prowess, including serves reaching 117 mph and powerful forehands and backhands, Williams struggled with unforced errors, ultimately leading to her defeat. She exited the court to a warm applause from the appreciative crowd, acknowledging their support with a wave.
