Venus Williams' age gets attention at the US Open but players think her icon status matters more

NEW YORK (AP) — It's a given that much of the coverage and attention devoted to Venus Williams' return to the U.S. Open , where play begins Sunday, has focused — and will focus — on how old she is. The American is, after all, 45 , an age at which no one has competed in singles in New York since 1981.

That, in and of itself, is noteworthy.