Venus Williams was ousted in the first round of the Cincinnati Open on Friday as Jessica Bouzas Maneiro posted a straight-sets win over the American icon.
Spaniard Bouzas Maneiro registered a 6-4, 6-4 triumph
over American Williams, despite the seven-time Major winner’s fightback from three games down in the opening set.
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“I had so much fun out there, and there were definitely moments where I had a lot of chances,” Williams said.
“I thought she played super well. I have to definitely give her a lot of credit,” the 45-year-old said.
“It’s hard for me to be upset,” she added.
“I know that I lost this match because I just, I need more matches. I could have played better. But the thing I feel good about is that I did go for it. It’s not that I didn’t know what to do. It’s just that I need to keep working on it.”
Bouzas Maneiro expressed her admiration of the America icon and added that the opportunity to square up against the veteran was a privilege.
“It was not easy at all,” said the Spaniard reflecting on her fixture against the great.
“She’s a legend, it was a privilege to play against her. I never thought that I would ever play Venus. I was just lucky with that,” the 22-year-old said.
“I tried to have a lot of intensity, but I had no rhythm. She hits so hard. I tried to focus. I had to be positive to win the points.”
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Williams competed for the second time in three weeks after returning to the WTA tour in Washington, marking her first tournament in 16 months.
She won her first-round match in Washington but was defeated by Magdalena Frech in straight sets.
This was Williams’ 11th appearance in Cincinnati, where she previously reached the semi-finals in 2012. In her last appearance there, she lost in the second round to China’s Zheng Qinwen in 2023.
Reflecting on her return to the courts after a serious health scare last year, which included surgery to remove uterine fibroids, Williams expressed her gratitude for being able to play again.
“I’m in a completely different space and I have a clean bill of health, thank God,” she said.
