Venus Williams made her long-awaited return to the tour, ending a six-month hiatus, only to suffer a defeat against qualifier Nao Hibino at the BNP Paribas Open. The 43-year-old, with seven Grand Slam titles under her belt, lost the lead and the last 10 games of the match in a 2-6, 6-3, 6-0 outcome.
Since her early exit at the U.S. Open last August, Williams hadn’t appeared in any competitive matches. Her loss in the first round of that tournament marked a significant setback, being her most one-sided defeat in 100 career matches at the major, where she triumphed in 2000 and 2001.
As the match concluded with Williams being broken for the seventh time in 12 service games, she displayed sportsmanship by congratulating Hibino at the net before leaving the court with a smile and a wave, acknowledging the applause from the audience.
Williams, a former world No. 1 who is currently ranked outside the top 450, last clinched a Grand Slam title at Wimbledon in 2008.
Despite her sporadic appearances on the court in recent years, primarily due to injuries, her presence still commands attention. However, her performance in this match was marred by errors, including 10 double faults.
