NEW YORK (AP) — 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.

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 Coco Gauff in a match interrupted

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