Even at age 45, even after two years away from Grand Slam tennis , Venus Williams displayed some big serves and powerful groundstrokes at the U.S. Open on Monday night in front of a supportive crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium, before losing 6-3, 2-6, 6-1 to Karolina Muchova.

Williams was the oldest singles player at the hard-court tournament since Renee Richards was 47 in 1981.

Watch NBC 5 free wherever you are WATCH HERE

And in just the fourth match of her comeback that began last month after more than a year off the tour, Williams didn't exactly get to ease into things Monday: Muchova, a 29-year-old from the Czech Republic, was the 2023 French Open runner-up. She also was seeded 11th in New York and made it to the semifinals there in both 2023 — when she lost to eventual champion C

See Full Page