Former world No 1 Venus Williams revealed one of the regrets she had about missing the Australian Open as the seven-time Grand Slam champion really wanted to shine in the outfit she had prepared for Melbourne. Apparently, Williams sustained injuries to her ankle and knee during her Auckland round-of-16 match.
“What did you miss the most about not being able to play the Aussie Open?” one fan asked. Williams gave a quick answer: “Wearing my outfit (sad emoji).”
ð¥ºð¥ºðð pic.twitter.com/ipAg13pv2E — Get well soon Vee â¤ï¸ð©¹ð (@VenusGauff) February 3, 2023
Williams, 42, kicked off the 2023 season at the ASB Classic in Auckland, where she defeated Katie Volynets in the first round.
After beating Volynets, Williams suffered a three-set defeat to Zhu Lin in the round-of-16. Williams, who was awarded a main draw wildcard into the Australian Open, was forced to pull out of the tournament. “Venus Williams has withdrawn from the Australian Open due to an injury sustained at the ASB Classic in New Zealand.
Australia’s Kim Birrell will be awarded her wildcard place,” the Australian Open’s statement from January 7th read.
Williams clinched her first win in a year and a half
Last year, Williams appeared in four singles tournaments and went 0-4.
After being handed a main draw wildcard into Auckland, Williams kicked off her 2023 season in Auckland. In the first round, Williams defeated fellow American Volynets 7-6 (4) 6-2. For Williams, it was her first win since 2021 Wimbledon.
“This is one of my favorite places to come, I was so excited that I made it here. I’m happy to get a win today against a great opponent,” Williams said after the match. After beating Volynets, Williams also made a positive start to her round-of-16 match against Zhu.
Unfortunately for Williams, she couldn’t sustain the same level of play for the entire match as Zhu recovered from a set down to beat the American 3-6 6-2 7-5. It remains to be seen when will Williams be able to return to action.
