“There are no limits for excellence…If you put in the work mentally, physically, and emotionally, then you can have the result,” said Venus Williams after defeating Peyton Stearns at the CITI Open last month. Williams’ high regard for her own capabilities wasn’t unjustified, given she had just won her first match after coming out of retirement. And while she did bow out of the tournament in the next round, the 5x Grand Slam winner still hopes to continue pursuing her love for the sport for as long as she can.

On Monday, Venus will make her comeback at the Big Apple for the 2025 US Open. At 45 years old, that’s an impressive feat in itself. Naturally, fans can’t help but speculate if this could be her final appearance at the top-tier tournament. However, Williams just might surprise us.

At the New York pre-event presser, the elder Williams sister noted how her adoration for tennis prompts her to keep coming back for more. In a YouTube upload from August 23 by the official US Open channel, Venus could be heard answering a reporter who asked her why she keeps playing even now. “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,” said the veteran icon, with a smile.

With age really not being on the side of Venus, fans are obviously speculating if this would be her last time at the US Open. While that possibility is certainly high, Williams assured her followers and the reporters that she wouldn’t stop coming back to the Big Apple, no matter what. “Maybe I’ll come back to watch. Maybe I’ll be saying, ‘I did it better.’ And it won’t be true,” she said with a chuckle, “But in any case, tennis will always be one of the most important parts of my life.”

Venus Williams will start her US Open singles title quest against Karolina Muchova on Monday at the Arthur Ashe Stadium. She paired up with long-time friend Reilly Opelka for the mixed doubles, but the duo was defeated by Andrey Rublev and Muchova in the Round of 16. Naturally, now, all hopes reside on the 7x Grand Slam winner’s singles journey.

But hey, anyone who knows Williams’s prowess knows discounting her would be the gravest mistake they can make. And as Muchova waits to meet Venus head-on, the Czechian knows she will need to bring out the big guns, just like her opponent will.

Venus Williams promises to do some heavy lifting at the US Open

Despite crashing out of the Cincinnati Open earlier this month, Venus was in high spirits. As if she were merely testing the waters before the big rumble in New York, Williams was all smiles at the post-match presser after her defeat to Jessica Maneiro. “I had so much fun out there,” confessed the elder Williams sister, beaming. Following a surgery last year to remove uterine fibroids, the American was sidelined for most of the season last season, but ahead of the US Open, she was visibly excited.

“Love is the key, right? If you don’t love it, then get out of it. I think a lot of the motivation for me is just to come back and try to play in the best health that I can. I never stopped hitting the ball even when I was away, not as intensely as you would if you were playing tournaments, but I was still going out there,” Venus told reporters in Cincinnati on what fuels her US Open aspirations.

Well, she will have all the support she needs to carry her all the way to the top in New York. Her sister, Serena, has already pledged her support for Venus, saying, “I’m so excited. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I will be cheering her on and rooting her on the whole way.” The 4x Olympic gold medalist last won the US Open in 2001 (her second win at the tournament after 2000), and would love to win it again almost a quarter of a century later. But will the tennis gods oblige? Share your thoughts with us below!