Venus Williams, by just stepping out onto John Cain Arena, set a record for the oldest singles player to play in the Australian Open.
A testament to her longevity at the highest level, the American went up two service breaks at 4-0 in the third set, before bowing out to Olga Danilovic 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-4.
After the match, the 45-year-old and seven-time major winner was coy on her next moves after her summer that included appearances in Auckland and Hobart.
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The return to competition sparked question on whether Williams plans to maintain a regular singles schedule in 2026 and possibly return to Melbourne Park next year.
But with her 46th birthday in June, Williams kept her card close to her chest, admitting her focus remains on her upcoming doubles campaign with Ekaterina Alexandrova – even after taking a moment to soak in the adulation from the Aussie fans.
Venus Williams of the United States would not state any future plans. Â Getty
“I’ll think about what’s next for me,” she said post-match.
“Right now I’m very much in the tournament. My next focus is the doubles, so that’s where my head is.
“I had to appreciate the crowd. They were right there with me. They deserved that moment. We deserved that moment together. It was an amazing journey on the court.”
Williams served for over 14 minutes in the penultimate game, determined to stay in the match, before she finally succumbed to a third break point.
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She came into the grand slam ranked No.576 and playing on a wildcard entry, becoming the oldest player to compete in singles at the Australian Open.
Danilovic, at 24, is 21 years younger than Williams and the Serbian was not yet born when Williams won her first grand slam at Wimbledon in 2000.
“At 4-0 love [in the third set] I felt good … it’s the biggest lead I’ve had since I’ve been back,” Williams added.
“In a lot of ways, I’m having to relearn how to do things again, if that makes any sense.
Olga Danilovic, left, is congratulated by Venus Williams. AP
“Right now I’m just going to have to keep going forward and working on myself and working to control my errors. Those are things, too, that come with playing extra matches, getting your feet in the exact right position, choosing the right shots.
“It’s kind of weird, but it’s super exciting to have played that well and to get myself in that position and come very close.”
Williams entered the tournament on a five-match losing streak since the first and only win in her most recent comeback to the tour at Washington last year.
She won the first set and had command of the third until Danilovic went for broke.
Williams was married in December to Italian Andrea Preti.
She was 17 when she first played the Australian Open in 1998, reaching the quarter-finals in just her fourth grand slam event.
She never won the Australian Open but made the finals in 2003 and 2017 and lost both times to her sister, Serena.