"Some people will say Venus Williams won the match because the WTA level is low. The level is not low" - Patrick Mouratoglou praises Venus Williams ahead of US Open return

Earlier today, it was announced that seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams was given a wildcard to play in the US Open. This continues her comeback after a 16 month hiatus from the sport, with French tennis coach and commentator Patrick Mouratoglou labelling Williams as a 'champion' ahead of the event.

The 45-year-old made her return at the Washington Open and proved to the world she still has what it takes to compete after beating fellow American Peyton Stearns 6-3, 6-4. She succumbed to defeat in her next tie, losing 2-6, 2-6 to Polish star Magdalena Frech. She failed to progress past the first round in Cincinnati, being defeated by Spaniard Jessica Bouzas Maneiro.

The former world number one returns to the US Open for the first time since 2023 and will be targeting a first win since 2019. She has won the competition twice, winning back-to-back in 2000 and 2001. She made the final three years prior as a 17-year-old, losing out to Martina Hingis in convincing fashion.

This will be her 25th appearance at Flushing Meadows, the most out of any professional. Before this, she will also compete in the revamped mixed doubles with Reilly Opelka, as they aim to put a smile on the home crowd's faces in a star-studded competition.

It takes a special athlete to compete with some of the top players in the world at the age of 45. This is what Williams is doing, and she has got praise from Mouratoglou, who notes her competitiveness and quality, which has never left. The Frenchman had previously coached her sister, 23-time Grand Slam winner Serena Williams, so he has a taste of what they are made of.

Speaking on Instagram, he said: “Some people will say Venus Williams won the match because the WTA level is low. This is b******t. The level is not low. It’s just that Venus is a champion. She’s a huge competitor. She’s been at such a high level for so many years… even though she’s out of competition for 16 months, when she comes back, she knows how to compete, more than anyone."

He did admit that her age is showing through on court compared to someone younger, but went on to praise her movement, saying that 'she can move.' As well as that, he went on to state that when she's on the court, there is a lot of expectation around her due to who she is, linking to her past success in the game and the legacy that she has created.

“Of course when you’re 45 the physical decreases. That’s a big part of the game in tennis," Mouratoglou said. "The way she was moving on the court, I think she did really great. She’s moving well. Of course she’s not moving as she was moving when she was 25 but you know, to beat those players? Yeah, she can move.

“I think for the game of tennis to have Venus competing is amazing. Everybody wants to see Venus play and even more at 45, 16 months without playing. She’s Venus Williams, so when she goes to the court she has so much expectations. She knows she can win the match and she thinks she should win the match. This level of expectation brings tension and she was able to deal with this tension quite well I think.”

Her US Open campaign oficially starts in the mixed doubles, which is being played between the 19th-20th August. She will find out her opponent for the singles tournament on the 21st, with the tournament kicking off three days later.