Sawt Falasteen - Battling Venus unsure of future plans after US Open exit

The American former world number one delighted a packed house on the Arthur Ashe Stadium court with a gutsy 6-3, 2-6, 6-1 defeat to Czech 11th seed Karolina Muchova.

Williams only returned to competitive tennis in July following a 16-month absence from the sport and was granted a wild card into the main draw at Flushing Meadows, a decision that met with criticism in some quarters.

Yet she did enough against her 29-year-old opponent -- who was not even born when Williams turned professional in 1994 -- to more than justify the decision to give her a place in the main draw.

Williams said she does not expect to play again this year, citing a reluctance to travel, but was coy about whether she would consider seeking a place in the Australian Open next season.

"That's kind of far too," Williams, the US Open champion in 2000 and 2001, said when asked about the Australian Open.

"My goal is to do what I want to do. I'm so grateful for all the folks who gave me a wild card. They could have said, 'Hey, listen, you've been gone too long, you haven't won a lot of matches in the last few years.' I wasn't lucky with my health and with injuries," she said.

"But there were a lot of people who believed in me in these tournaments. I'm very grateful to have had that chance and that opportunity to make good on it and have a chance to really strike the ball.

"I play an exciting brand of tennis. It's a lot of fun to go literally hog wild out there and hit as hard as I can. I'm happiest when I can just hit hard."

Seven-time major singles champion Williams contrasted Monday's performance with her defeat to Muchova at the US Open in 2020, when she lost in straight sets in the first round.

"When I think about the match I played against her in 2020, I was so uncomfortable. I wasn't well. I was in so much pain. Today it's night and day how much better I felt, so I'm so grateful to have had the opportunity to play in feeling better, and at that rate, have a real chance," she said.

Reflecting on her fitness and overall health, Williams choked up as she said she was finally playing without pain.

"What did I prove to myself? I think for me getting back on the court was about giving myself a chance to play more healthy," she said.

"When you play unhealthy, it's in your mind. It's not just how you feel. You get stuck in your mind too. It was nice to be freer."

V.Said--SF-PST