Williams makes record 25th US Open main draw start
Muchová seeded 11th, twice a US Open semi-finalist
Reach Bryan on Bluesky at @BryanAGraham or email
It is hard to imagine the US Open without Venus Williams. For more than a quarter of a century the American has been as much a part of the Flushing Meadows landscape as blue courts, Honey Deuce cocktails and Arthur Ashe Stadium, all of which her 31-year professional career predates. Tonight she will step onto that court for a record-extending 25th main-draw appearance at her home grand slam, facing the 11th seed, Karolína Muchová of the Czech Republic, in an opening-round clash between two players at very different stages of their careers.
Williams, now 45 years old and ranked outside the world’s top 600, has long since guaranteed her place in tennis history. She lifted the US Open trophy in 2000 and 2001, part of a haul of seven major singles titles that also includes five at Wimbledon. Her power-baseline game helped redefine women’s tennis when she broke through as a teenager, and while the results have inevitably slowed, her appetite for competition has not dimmed. This will be only her third tournament since Miami last year, following tune-ups in Washington DC and Cincinnati, but her presence alone carries significance. The last time she faced a top-20 opponent was back in 2023 at Cincinnati, where she beat world No 16 Veronika Kudermetova.
