Venus Williams didn’t go down without a fight in her first Grand Slam match since the 2023 US Open, but it wasn’t enough as she fell in three sets to Karolina Muchova, 3-6, 6-2, 1-6 at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Williams was making her 25th US Open appearance on Tuesday night and marked her 94th Grand Slam appearance, which was the most for any woman in the Open era.

The 45-year-old tennis star electrified the crowd throughout the night, showing that she still had what it takes to compete with the sport’s best, including during the final set when she put a precision shot out of the reach of Muchova to tie a game 30-30.

Williams was given a hero’s sendoff as she walked off, waving to the crowd as they erupted in loud applause.