Venus Williams, 45, made clear matches in DC were no farewell, with US Open return among her wishes

Boston Globe

3 days ago

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'I'm sorry to have [fallen] short,' Williams said after being eliminated by 24th-ranked Magdalena Frech 6-2, 6-2 on Thursday night, 'but I know I can play better. And I know I will play better.'
Yes, there will be more: Williams next heads to the Cincinnati Open in August. That's certain.
And she also might very well be competing at the US Open later next month, if the US Tennis Association awards her a wild-card entry. The USTA already announced that Williams asked for an invitation to play with Reilly Opelka in the tournament's newfangled mixed doubles event.
Williams made quite obvious that the whole experience in Washington was fun for her.
She loves the challenge. She loves playing tennis. Plus, what's not to like about so much adulation from so many?
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'Everything is about her [at] this tournament. All the media, all the fans — everyone is for her,' Frech said. 'She's a superstar. She's a legend here.'
There's more to it, though. Because Williams also made clear that this is not merely about having a good time. She wants to win, too.
'There's so many learnings from here. I know exactly what I need to work on, where I can improve. The good news is I'm always in control of the point. The important part is to put the ball in,' Williams said with a smile. 'So this is one thing I didn't do today. Was I in control? Absolutely. Will I be in control of most of my matches? Most likely, yes. That's the place I want to be, so I'm putting myself in that position. That's what counts.'
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Williams still can hammer a serve, as the series of aces she delivered at more than 110 mph during her straight-set victory Tuesday against 35th-ranked Peyton Stearns showed.
Still can pound forehands and backhands, too.
As Stearns put it: 'She played some ball tonight.'
At the end of her final news conference in Washington, Williams spoke about her takeaways from the matches she played and the work she put in to make them possible after needing to stay off the court last year because of surgery for uterine fibroids.
Her answer sounded a bit like a warning to other players out there who will face her.
'I'll reflect on this match and the things I could have done better. I'll reflect on my preparation going into the matches to make sure I'm prime and ready. Those are the kind of things. But more than anything, I take a lot of information from this tournament. So much data,' Williams said. 'Like, I can't wait to get on the practice court. My coach and I were already talking about what we're going to work on and also how much better I got so quickly in these last few weeks, too, was kind of like straight up a mountain.'
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Then she paused and added: 'So we have made so much progress, and I expect that there will be more.'
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