For the 1,099th time in her storied career, Venus Williams stood tall on the baseline, ready for battle, her warrior’s spirit unshaken after 31 relentless years of combat. In Cincinnati’s heart, under the glare of Centre Court, she fought with the fire that built her legend, every stroke a reminder of her indomitable will. But destiny can be a cruel composer. The in-form Spaniard Jessica Bouzas Maneiro crashed the icon’s dream of another Masters-level flourish, seizing victory after two fierce sets. This time, Venus could not hold, and the Spaniard left rebellious, having crossed paths with greatness, and lived to tell the tale.

The score read 6-4, 6-4, but the battle was far closer in spirit, Venus refusing to look out of place on one of tennis’s grandest stages. Venus now sets her sights on the revamped US Open mixed doubles alongside Reilly Opelka, and a likely singles wildcard. Yet before the New York lights, the Spaniard paused to share her thoughts on the icon she had just faced.

Speaking after the Cincinnati clash, Jessica Bouzas Maneiro’s voice carried both respect and awe as she reflected on sharing the court with Venus Williams. “It wasn’t easy at all. She is a legend. It’s a privilege to play against her. Yeah, for me, it’s like a dream. I never thought that I can play against Venus Williams, but here I am. So I am just lucky for that,” she said, her words painting a picture of gratitude after toppling one of tennis’s most enduring warriors.

Williams’ journey back to competition has been nothing short of defiant. Just last month, she earned a wild card entry into the Citi Open in Washington, D.C., and stunned the tennis world by taking down 35th-ranked Peyton Stearns. At 45, she became the oldest player to earn a WTA singles win since Martina Navratilova’s 2004 Wimbledon triumph at age 47, a feat etched into the sport’s annals.

But Venus’s battles have not been confined to the court. A year ago, she faced one of her most grueling opponents: her own health. In 2011, she was diagnosed with Sjogren’s syndrome, the symptoms of which, in fact, had surfaced all the way back in 2004. “No matter how hard I worked, I was exhausted, short of breath, and never felt in shape. It was really frustrating,” she told Prevention.com in 2019. “My symptoms got progressively worse, to the point where I couldn’t play professional tennis anymore.” As if that wasn’t enough, a year ago, she also had to undergo surgery to remove fibroids and a large focal adenomyoma embedded deep within her uterus. The procedure followed years of misdiagnoses and debilitating symptoms that had shadowed her career.

Now, the loss in Cincinnati’s opening round must sting, if only for the timing. The US Open looms large, the stage where Venus has written some of her grandest chapters. And as always, she will walk toward it with the poise of a champion, unshaken by setbacks, ready to fight once more.

Venus Williams reflects on recent Cincinnati defeat

Things looked grim for the 45-year-old Venus Williams in the early exchanges, her timing faltering as shots drifted astray. She quickly fell behind, down two breaks at 1-4 in the opening set. Across the net stood 22-year-old Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, a rising force whose world ranking of 51 masked a blistering run, fourth round at Wimbledon, a quarter-final in Montreal just last week. The Spaniard’s game was built on steel: unerring depth, measured precision, minimal errors, and the patience to redirect Venus’s pace with purpose.

Yet champions do not fade quietly. Venus clawed her way back, regaining rhythm, summoning the grit that has carried her for three decades. She broke back twice, leveling the set and igniting the crowd. In the second set, her forehand became a weapon again, bullying Bouzas Maneiro from the baseline. Her first serve, still venomous, helped her surge to a 4-3 lead, a reminder that her arsenal remains dangerous at any age.

But at the crucible of both sets, Bouzas Maneiro’s shot tolerance and defensive grit held firm. Under pressure, she absorbed Venus’s power, turned defence into attack, and closed the match with a composure that belied her years. It was the kind of performance that marks the difference between promise and presence.

With the US Open just around the corner, Williams knows it better than anyone that a deep run in Cincinnati would have prepared her better for what could be her final tournament of the year. That being said, she also knows better than to sulk after a bad day at the office. “Right now it’s hard for me to be upset,” said Williams. “Of course, I want to win the match, but it’s hard for me to be [sad]. If you’re on tour, day in, day out and you lose a match, you’re like, ‘Man, I had some chances.’ I know that I lost this match because I just need more matches. After this match, I’m just thinking, ‘OK, what am I going to work on?’ instead of, ‘Gosh, I screwed that up.'”

Well, Venus is Venus, and at 45, she will once again remind the world exactly how tennis can be played.