CINCINNATI — Venus Williams made her comeback to the tennis circuit last month after a lengthy hiatus of over a year, but faced a tough challenge on Thursday, falling to Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro with scores of 6-4, 6-4 in the opening round of the Cincinnati Open.
Looking ahead, the seven-time Grand Slam singles champion is set to compete in the U.S. Open, where she’s been awarded a wild-card alongside Reilly Opelka to engage in mixed doubles starting Aug. 19. Notably, Williams has secured 14 Grand Slam doubles titles alongside her sister Serena, along with two titles in mixed doubles.
Bouzas Maneiro, currently ranked 51st, had yet to be born when Williams clinched her first four Grand Slam titles, and she advanced to her debut WTA 1000 quarterfinal appearance just last week in Montreal.
With the audience rooting for her, Williams pushed the 22-year-old Spaniard hard but encountered difficulties with her serve throughout the match.
Having undergone uterine surgery last year, Williams recently etched her name in the history books by becoming the oldest woman in two decades to win a WTA match, triumphing over Peyton Stearns at the DC Open last month. This marked her first tournament in 16 months and her first victory since the 2023 Cincinnati Open.
This was Williams’ 11th appearance at the Cincinnati Open, a venue where she reached the semifinals in 2012 and the quarterfinals in 2019. She has enjoyed a remarkable 11-week reign as the world’s No. 1 player.
