The return of a legend: Venus Williams’ 2025 US Open is one for the history books

Ask any athlete what they hope for in pursuing a professional career, and more often than not, other than success, a common answer might be longevity.

Venus Williams, at age 45 and playing in her 25th US Open, is certainly fulfilling that dream with no intention of ending it anytime soon. As a wild card entry in the main draw of the 2025 US Open, she is the oldest singles player in the tournament since a 47-year-old Renee Richards competed in 1981.

But no matter her age, Williams’ presence across the net in Flushing Meadows still looms large, and her confidence remains just as strong as it was when she was sweeping titles in the early 2000s. The woman who had a significant influence on changing the course of women’s tennis and influencing the next generation of players continues to play with unshakable passion for the game.

With a career that has spanned four different decades at the US Open, Williams has a rather lengthy Rolodex of memories in her 24 previous appearances in Flushing Meadows. She reached the semifinals or better in her first six attempts at the US Open, winning the title twice, in 2000 and 2001.

Of her 14 major doubles titles, all with sister Serena Williams, two were won here in New York. And much to the delight of tennis fans, six episodes of the Venus-versus-Serena saga have played out on the courts of the US Open, four of which favored the younger Williams sister, the last coming in 2018.

As Williams opens the night session in Arthur Ashe Stadium against No. 11 seed Karolina Muchova Monday evening to play match 1,100 of her singles career, we take a walk down memory lane and recall a few of the seven-time major champion’s earliest and most notable US Open matches.

1997 Final – Loses to No. 1 Martina Hingis, 6-0, 6-4

Who could forget Williams’ first trip to the US Open when, at the age of 17, with those iconic beads in her hair, she tore through the draw in defeating the likes of Anke Huber (R3), Sandrine Testud (QF) and Irina Spirlea (SF) as an unseeded player, only to run into world No. 1 Martina Hingis in the final.

Reflecting on her experience and how she felt stepping onto the court for her first major final as a teen, Williams recalls, “(I was) so nervous. First time, obviously the US Open is huge, I don't know if I handled my emotions in the first set well but managed to turn it around, thank God. It was a really big beginning for me.”

Though Hingis dominated the contest and allowed Williams only four games in the match, the contrast of game styles that day signaled a changing of the times in the way tennis would be played in years to come, as Williams’ powerful, aggressive and athletic skills challenged Hingis’ finesse and tactical acumen.

2000 Semifinal – Defeats No. 1 Martina Hingis, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5

After having bowed out in the semifinals the two years prior, Williams entered the 2000 US Open as the No. 3 seed, confident that she could not be defeated. The Williams that Hingis faced in 2000 was a different Williams from three years prior. The only break of serve in the first frame came late in the set, a Williams double fault that gave Hingis the edge.

But in the second set, down 2-3, Williams reeled off the last four games to level the match a set apiece. The dramatics continued in the deciding set, with Hingis two points away from yet another US Open victory over Williams at 5-3, 30-15. When the Swiss No. 1 blinked, it was Williams who would stage a comeback and steal the win, again taking the last four games—and 15 of the last 18 points—to return to the US Open final.

The win set up a meeting with No. 2 Lindsay Davenport, a thrilling contest Williams would handle with poise, overcoming a 4-1 first-set deficit and taking a straight-sets 6-4, 7-5 win to claim her first home Slam title.

2001 Final – Defeats No. 10 Serena Williams, 6-2, 6-4

This match checked a few boxes for the history books. It was the first US Open women’s final to be played under the bright lights of Arthur Ashe Stadium on prime time television, and rightly so. The sibling rivalry had been well underway in 2001, and it was fitting that the tennis world recognized the magnitude and starpower of the occasion. It also was the first time two sisters competed against each other in a Grand Slam final.

En route to the championship, Venus did not drop a set, notching wins over five seeded players, including Testud, Kim Clijsters and Jennifer Capriati.

Playing against her kid sister with a major title on the line, Venus did not waver. The match showcased next-level ball striking from both women, but it was the elder Williams who owned the night, defending her title and establishing herself as a dominant contender in women’s tennis.

It’s been six years since Williams last tallied a singles win on the courts of Flushing Meadows, but the nostalgia of her storied career here lives on. Even after three Olympic gold medals, 49 career singles titles, a No. 1 ranking and seven major trophies, the thrill of