Is Venus Williams retiring after US Open defeat?

Veteran tennis star Venus Williams has opened up about her retirement plans as she suffered a first-round defeat against Karolina Muchova at the US Open. 

The seven-time Grand Slam winner remains determined to continue her professional tennis career, however, she is still reluctant to venture beyond American shores for competitions.

The 45-year-old returned at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Monday evening, where she battled Muchova but suffered at 6-3, 2-6, 6-1 defeat.

The crowd were simply delighted to witness the legendary champion in action as uncertainty continues to surround her future.

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When asked about if she is open to play in other competitions, Williams responded that she is not willing to travel that far at this stage of her career to play.

“Are there any tournaments in the States? Can someone move a tournament here? I don’t know that I’m willing to travel that far at this stage in my career to go play.

“I love playing. The level of my game has come up so much since D.C. I tried as hard as I could to throw off any rust, but at the end of the day, there’s only so much that can really be accomplished in three or four matches.

The former champion maintained that she doesn’t fancy competing at high altitudes either. This means she would not feature in Guadalajara next month.

She also cheekily hinted Melbourne is “kind of far too,” downplaying her likelihood of making an appearance at the 2026 Australian Open.