"Definitely a stadium worthy of the name": Venus Williams reflects on first time stepping out onto Arthur Ashe Stadium at US Open

At 45 years old, Venus Williams is preparing for yet another run at the US Open, and her excitement to return to Flushing Meadows was clear as she addressed the press ahead of her Monday night appearance.

“Oh yeah, super thrilling to be back,” she said in her pre tournament press conference. “It does not get old—it just gets more exciting, and I'm looking forward to Monday night.”

When asked about her motivation to keep competing, Williams explained that she has always looked inward rather than focusing on outside perception. “I haven’t thought about what people would take away from it. I was more thinking about what I would get from it, so there’s that.” For her, the joy comes naturally. “I love my job, so there’s the joy right there.”

Williams also reflected on her recent experience in mixed doubles with Reilly Opelka, which she described as a highlight. “Oh my gosh, he played so well. I played pretty hard too. I hit a lot of hard shots. A lot of them went in, some of them didn’t, but I think it was super exciting for the players and the fans. At least I felt so.”

This year marks the 75th anniversary of Althea Gibson’s first appearance at the US National Championships, a milestone Williams believes deserves greater recognition. “I think the most important part is that we’re celebrating it and recognizing it because Althea accomplished so much and a lot of it has not been given the credit it deserves and the attention and the praise. I think that’s the most important part to me—just shining light on it and acknowledging that.”

As one of the sport’s longest-standing role models, Williams was asked what advice she would share with rising talents such as Alex Eala and Leylah Fernandez, who carry the hopes of the Philippines on the global stage. Her answer was simple: “Just enjoy yourself. When you’re having fun, things are easy. When you’re not, it’s not as much fun. You have to put the fun first.”

The press conference also brought back memories of her first-ever appearance inside Arthur Ashe Stadium. “I was so nervous,” she admitted. “First time, obviously the US Open is huge. I don’t know if I handled my emotions in the first set well, but I managed to turn it around—thank God. It was a really big beginning for me. Definitely a stadium worthy of the name.”

Reflecting on her preparation for this year’s tournament, Williams spoke about her training and current playing style. “Yeah, I did exactly what I needed to do. Right now, I just hit too hard and it goes out. So I’m going to try to hit less hard so it goes in. But the good news is I’m having fun controlling the points. It’s a great game style for me.”

She was also candid about her expectations at this stage of her career. “I want to be my best, and that’s the expectation I have for myself—to get the best out of me. And that’s all any player can ask for. I haven’t played as much as the other players, so it’s a different challenge when you’re dealing with that. So I’m just trying to have fun, stay relaxed and be my personal best.”

Even when she’s not competing, Williams revealed that her love of tennis keeps her on court nearly every day. “I like to hit in the morning as I like to get out of the sun, if that makes any sense. Save whatever’s left of my skin,” she joked. “And I think I’ll always play tennis. It’s in my DNA. So it doesn’t matter if it’s now or 30 years from now. God willing, I’ll be here. We’ll all be here. We’ll all be hitting balls. Maybe I’ll come back to watch. Maybe I’ll be saying I did it better and it won’t be true. But in any case, tennis will always be one of the most important parts of my life.”