Venus Williams during her ASB Classic singles match on Tuesday. Photosport
Venus Williams has not ruled out a return to Auckland in 2027.
The American veteran exited in the first round on Tuesday, in a tight three-set loss to Polish fifth seed Magda Linette. It’s reasonable to assume it is the last time we will see the 45-year-old, who started her latest comeback in July 2025, after 16 months off the tour.
But Williams was cagey when asked if she might be back next year and extend her career even further.
“Never say never,” smiled Williams. “And even if I did know, I wouldn’t tell you.”
It feels like her tennis is a step-by-step proposition, which is understandable given her advanced years. She is also newly married, to Andrea Preti last December, and has several business interests and other projects.
“I mean, [tennis] is obviously number one right now,” said Williams. “Everything else is on the back burner, so, I’ve got a few more weeks left Downunder, and I’m going to take it very seriously as [the] number one priority.”
Despite the effort, sacrifice and sheer hard work it takes to get back to WTA level, the enjoyment is still there.
“It’s so much fun, you know, and playing well and playing at a super high level and with more matches, I’ll just get better, said Williams. ”So the sky’s always a limit, no matter, as long as you give the effort.”
Williams was clearly disappointed with the 4-6 6-4 2-6 defeat but also philosophical, especially as she had chances, with a couple of break points for a 3-1 lead in the final set. She couldn’t convert them and Linette then reeled off four consecutive games to take the match. The world No 55 was a tough draw for the wildcard, who might have preferred someone less experienced. Williams showed her level was still there – with some punishing groundstrokes off both wings – but wasn’t consistent enough and struggled at times with her movement.
“My opponent, she played amazing, definitely deserved the win,” said Williams.
“I definitely felt like I had opportunities, which is great news for me. I need the matches, I need the experience, so it’s great news that I have an opportunity to play next week too [in Hobart].“
It was only her fifth singles match since last July when she returned in Washington and that competition is what she needs the most.
“One of the biggest disadvantages for me is that everybody’s played more matches than I have,” said Williams. “So when the season starts like it does in tennis and the first thing is a Grand Slam, then you got to come out hot, and I did come out hot.
“It’s like my game is rocket fuel, so I have to figure out how not to do too much and then not to do too little. It’s not always easy, but I’m happy with a lot of the things that I did.”
Williams will prolong her stay in Auckland with some sightseeing on Wednesday, after an intense training bloc.
“We’ve been working every day,” said Williams. “We played six days in a row already, so on Wednesday I’m actually going to go see something and take a day off before I get back to work.
“I’ve played so many matches here and been so busy here. I never really got to see anything, so this will be the first time that I really take advantage of it and I guess be a tourist.”
On Tuesday evening, top seed Elina Svitolina made an impressive start to her campaign here, dispatching France’s Varvara Gracheva 6-3 6-1 in 76 minutes. The first set was tight – with a single break of serve – before the world No 14 found her rhythm, which meant Gracheva was constantly under pressure. After a prolonged break – following her decision to end the 2025 season early last September – Svitolina was delighted with her form.
“My fighting spirit, I would say it’s back,” said Svitolina. “And I would say it’s nice to be refreshed and hungry again, to work hard, to face these tough moments. So the period of time at the end of the season that I took off, it really helped me to find again, this spirit and fighting experience that I’ve been having for many years.”
The final match on Tuesday was the best of the tournament so far, with fourth seed Alexandre Eala outlasting Croatian Donna Vekic in a classic. It was an epic contest, with the Filipino fighting back to win 4-6 6-4 6-4 in two hours and 40 minutes.
Eala was cheered on by feverish support from the local Filipino community, creating an atmosphere rarely seen at Stanley St down the years. The world No 50 enjoyed a breakthrough year on the WTA tour in 2025 and showed that the hype is justified, with some brilliant shot-making and impressive defence. Vekic wasn’t far behind but will rue late lapses in each of the final two sets, in a match of extremely fine margins.
Michael Burgess has been a Sports Journalist for the New Zealand Herald since 2005, covering the Olympics, Fifa World Cups, and America’s Cup campaigns. He is a co-host of the Big League podcast.