Venus post raises speculation about tennis future

An Instagram station by Venus Williams reflecting connected the 28th day of her nonrecreational tennis debut raised speculation that her legendary vocation could beryllium nearing an end.

"On this time 28 years agone I made my debut to nonrecreational tennis," Williams wrote successful the caption alongside 2 photos of her arsenic a 14-year-old astatine the 1994 Bank of the West Classic, the tract of her archetypal WTA match. "I ne'er imagined 28 years aboriginal what [Serena Williams] and I would acquisition successful this sport. I tin recount the wins and the losses, but successful the extremity it was ever astir the pursuit of my champion self. Every day, triumph suffer oregon draw. I tin look backmost with nary regrets. It's each been worthy it."

Her station Wednesday nighttime was met with praise from respective of her peers, including Coco Gauff and Reilly Opelka.

"Queen," commented Gauff, who has agelong credited Venus and Serena for her commencement successful the sport.

Williams past played astatine the US Open successful September; she mislaid successful the archetypal circular successful singles and past paired with Serena for the doubles contention arsenic a wild-card entry. The sisters mislaid 7-6 (5), 6-4 to the Czech duo of Lucie Hradecka and Linda Noskova successful the archetypal round.

While Serena successful August had announced her plans to "evolve" distant from tennis to absorption connected off-the-court interests and ventures -- and was fixed a star-studded farewell astatine the US Open -- the elder Williams sister publically revealed nary specified plans.

"Right present I'm conscionable focused connected the doubles," Williams told reporters pursuing her first-round singles lucifer astatine Flushing Meadows erstwhile asked astir her aboriginal successful the sport.

Venus Williams, 42, is simply a erstwhile satellite No. 1 and has won 7 Grand Slam singles titles to spell on with 16 large doubles titles (14 successful women's doubles, 2 successful mixed doubles). She has earned 5 Olympic medals passim her career, tying her for the astir successful the sport's past astatine the Games.

She played successful conscionable 5 events during the 2022 season, including a mixed doubles-only quality astatine Wimbledon, and was 0-4 successful singles play.

Williams would request a chaotic paper to play the Australian Open, the year's archetypal major, which begins Jan. 16.