Without a doubt, Venus Williams, the American tennis legend, will never forget the 2017 Australian Open. After defeating Coco Vandeweghe in the Australian Open semifinal, she advanced to her first Grand Slam final since 2009. Although it was a fantastic achievement for the 42-year-old tennis star, for her opponent, Vandeweghe, it was very upsetting. The 31-year-old tennis star clearly recalled, in a recent podcast appearance, how she was highly frustrated after missing the opportunity to appear in a Grand Slam final.

Nevertheless, both players are still active on the tennis circuit. And even today, they are giving tough competition to the younger tennis players rising in the sport.

Coco Vandeweghe regrets about her missed chances 

The 159th-ranked tennis player recently appeared on the ‘Tennis.com Podcast’ with Kamau Murray. In that, Vandeweghe talked about the reason she is still competing on the tennis circuit. Along with that, she also talked about why she is not a big, friendly person in the heat of the moment. However, the highlight of the podcast came when she recalled suffering a hugely disappointing defeat against the seven-time Grand Slam champion in the 2017 Australian Open semi-finals.

She said, “I remember, so distinctly there is like a zoom-in on my face after I lost to Venus in the semis of Australia. I am like stone-cold pi**ed, and it’s like I have atmost respect for V. And like you know it was a three-set match, like I didn’t get spanked or anything. I was like pi**ed off, like I lost the opportunity to play for Grand Slam. Why would I be happy about this? Congrats V, but I don’t give a c**p, like at all.”

Vandeweghe also explained that at that moment, pretending that everything was alright was quite tough.

READ MORE – ‘Sleep When I’m Dead’ – Venus Williams Shows off Training Tantrums as She Braves Against All Odds to Forge a Comeback

Although Vandeweghe lost one of the biggest opportunities in her tennis career, for Venus it was like a minor career revival after she registered this jaw-dropping performance at the age of 36. Thus, after winning the semi-final, the seven-time Grand Slam champion’s reaction was quite overwhelming.

How did Venus Williams mark the occasion? 

After advancing to the semi-finals, the 42-year-old tennis player performed an incredible dance to celebrate ending her Grand Slam final drought. Additionally, as reported by Firstpost, after winning the match, Williams expressed how much it meant to her and how winning the semi-final was the cherry on top of her quest to compete in Grand Slam tournaments.

WATCH THIS STORY – The Journey of Roger Federer to the Elite Billionaire’s Club

Notably, the former world number one competed against Serena Williams, her younger sister, in the finals. She endured defeat at the hands of her sister as the 41-year-old claimed her iconic 23rd Grand Slam victory.