Venus Williams Falls in Cincinnati to Bouzas Maneiro
American tennis player Venus Williams, who returned to the circuit last month after a period of inactivity, was defeated by Spaniard Jessica Bouzas Maneiro in the first round of the Cincinnati Open. The final score was 6-4 and 6-4 in favor of Bouzas Maneiro. The next challenge for Williams, winner of seven Grand Slam singles titles, will be the US Open, where she will participate in mixed doubles alongside Reilly Opelka starting August 19. Williams has 14 Grand Slam titles in women’s doubles with her sister Serena, and two more in mixed doubles.Bouzas Maneiro, currently ranked 51st, and who wasn’t born when Williams won her first four Grand Slam titles, reached her first semifinal in a WTA 1000 tournament last week in Montreal. It’s a legend. This was a privilege. I tried to give my best on the court and enjoy every moment. It’s an honor to play against her. She is an inspiration for young players. Despite the public’s support, Williams struggled with her serve and couldn’t overcome the 22-year-old Spaniard.Coming out of this match, I feel incredible. That means that in this next period [before the US Open] I won’t have to repair injuries. Now I can work on power and speed instead of just trying to make sure I’m not injured before the tournament.
Venus Williams
Williams, who is recovering from surgery, became last month the oldest woman to win a WTA match in more than two decades, after defeating Peyton Stearns at the DC Open. This was her first tournament in 16 months and her first victory since the 2023 Cincinnati Open.She played super well. Clearly, she has a great future ahead. I was trying to figure things out as quickly as possible and ran out of time. Going into this match, I felt good.
Venus Williams
This was Williams’ eleventh appearance at the Cincinnati Open, where she reached the semi-finals in 2012 and the quarter-finals in 2019. Williams has been world number 1 for 11 weeks.I think there were times when I was working on the problems, but I think there was never a time when I wasn’t trying. I definitely see a lot of positives for today, and I think just by coming back, not everything is going to be perfect, but a lot of great things today.
Venus Williams
I had a lot of fun out there. There were times when I had a lot of opportunities and there were times when I was working on the problems. But there was never a time when I didn’t try.
Venus Williams
