She emerged on the court late in the gray, chilly afternoon with that wobbly gait that has become so familiar to tennis fans over the past 25 years. With her tennis bag slung over her shoulders, she began a final stretch of her upper body by pulling on the ends of her elastic bands.
Five-time Wimbledon singles champion and nine-time finalist Venus Williams returned to Center Court on Monday at the age of 43, becoming the oldest to win a main-draw singles match at the sport’s oldest Grand Slam tournament. I fought with the aim of becoming one of the top female players. .
That was not the case that day. Ultimately she limped, a scar that represented some undeniable truths about this age of tennis.
First, thanks to better training, nutrition and rewards, players are extending their careers longer into their late 30s, and in the case of the Williams sisters, into their early 40s. Former world number one Caroline Wozniacki, 32, announced last month that she would return to tennis after retiring in 2020 to raise two children.
Two: Unless your name is Novak Djokovic, staying fit in your late 30s and early 40s and winning in this grueling sport is tough.
On Monday, the first day of Wimbledon, the old set members were not just in the TV booth, they were scattered all over the All England Club. The 36-year-old Djokovic started his title defense in his usual fashion, beating Argentinian Pedro Catin in straight sets before Williams took up position on Center Court. USA’s John Isner, 38, lost in four sets to Spain’s Jaume Munard on Court 16, but two courts up Court 18, Stan Wawrinka, also 38, took on Emile Luwsbri. gave a clinic to and was defeated. The 24-year-old Finn has straight sets.
Unfortunately, Williams’ efforts weren’t enough as he aggravated a right knee injury early on in the 6-4, 6-3 loss to Elina Svitolina of Ukraine. Williams never recovered from the form she showed in the first few minutes of the game. That’s when she took an early lead and showed every sign that a win for her old guard might be in the cards. Last month, the 558th-ranked Williams defeated Italy’s Camila Giorgi in a third-set tiebreaker in Birmingham, England, for the first time in four years.
The win earned Williams a wild card spot at Wimbledon, where he won five of his nine appearances between 2000 and 2008. She just made it to the women’s singles final in 2017, but at some point she hasn’t indicated her intentions.
“I’m a competitor,” a somber and shaken Williams said at the post-match press conference. “That’s what I do for a living.”
She’s been doing it since she was 14.
Playing on turf smoothed by a mid-afternoon rain shower and moisture that remained in the air all day, Williams served and landed a hard, flat shot to the back of the court. She broke Svitolina’s serve in the second game. But at break point in the third game, Williams charged into the net and crouched on the grass screaming, clutching his support-banded right knee.
Williams remained on the ground for several minutes while Svitolina supported him with a towel under his head. Williams’ afternoon seemed to end there. However, she got up and limped into her chair, where the trainer examined her. After that, her movements were much more restricted than in her first two bouts.
She staggers through the points, struggling to generate power from groundstrokes and the serve that has long been a hallmark of her game, but requires the ability to use her lower body to push and torque. Her first serve speed dropped from 115 mph early in the game to mid-90 mph.
“I was literally dying and then I was run over by grass,” Williams said. “I’m not happy now.”
There was an eerie familiarity to the sequence of events. Two years before her, her younger sister Serena, at 39, was chasing her eighth Wimbledon title, and she was on the same court in the first round. Her effort lasted just six games, with Serena Williams having to withdraw in the first round due to her ankle injury.
Serena Williams returned to Wimbledon last year at what appeared to be the beginning of her last summer in professional tennis, but these days we don’t know. On a night that felt like a farewell, she lost in the first round in three sets.
What was impressive about Monday’s sister’s game was how it didn’t feel like Governor General, and how Venus Williams rebelled in the face of the toll that aging imposes on all athletes, regardless of ability. It looked like a target.
Older athletes are much more prone to injury, but she said she was shocked to have been injured.
“I can’t believe this happened,” she said. “It’s kind of strange.”
She was upset with how the game ended. The ball hit by Svitolina on match point was out, but the referee allowed the match after the Hawkeye system indicated it was in. Williams’ return shot went off target and the referee ruled that no points were scored. is played. Williams skipped shaking hands with the referee after the game.
She said the injury was so painful that she could not concentrate. She said she never considered quitting and she plans to have her knee checked on Tuesday. Shortly after, she spoke about the difficulty she had dealing with a new injury after recovering from a hamstring injury earlier in the year.
She hasn’t been on tour for a while. That’s not what she wants in her early 40s.
“I wish I could understand what was happening to me and move on,” she said.
For nearly 30 years, it has meant only one thing: back on the tennis court.
