Cincinnati: Venus Williams hopes to channel “Happy Gilmore” in next singles outing

CINCINNATI, Ohio—Venus Williams was feeling much more at home on court at the Cincinnati Open, her second tournament in almost a year and a half. But the 45-year-old is still “working out the kinks” after a 6-4, 6-4 defeat to Jessica Bouzas Maneiro in the first round.

“It’s little things,” Williams said of what she can improve in her post-match press conference, “like footwork errors, one more step here, or, ‘Ok, you didn’t have to go for that shot that hard!’ I had break point and I just hit the hell out of the ball. I was like, ‘Why did I just do that? Calm down!’ But I just get so excited. I know how I can play and before I know it, I’ve hit some insane shot that’s just maybe too many RPMs. It’s like the Happy Gilmore moment of just, ‘Tap it in’ a little bit!”

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Williams accepted a wild card into her first WTA 1000 tournament of the season after a winning return to action at the Mubadala Citi DC Open, and admitted to feeling the effects from playing four matches in four days in the nation’s capital.

There weren’t dunks on my head. She definitely played some great shots but I went for it. Sometimes they didn’t land and sometimes she hit some great shots. It’s not that I didn’t know what to do. I just need to keep working on it. Venus WIlliams

“You don’t know how you’re going to feel until after the first match,” explained Williams, who scored a straight-sets victory over Peyton Stearns in DC. “It’s not like I was completely hurt, but I had a pull in my groin and a pull in the hamstring and another little pull. So, I had to work very quickly to get that.”

Having shaken off the pre-comeback jitters and feeling refreshed from a week off, Williams took it to the 22-year-old Bouzas Maneiro, a player she had never seen play before, and felt encouraged to be that close to a world No. 51 after 16 months off the court.

“Coming off of this match, I felt amazing. That means that in this next period, I won’t have to fix injuries. I can work on power and speed rather than just trying to make sure I’m not hurt going into the tournament. I’m very excited I can have a different focus for the US Open.”

Williams has already received a wild card into the US Open’s revamped mixed doubles tournament, where she will partner Reilly Opelka, and appeared open to another opportunity to play singles despite Thursday’s defeat.

“Right now, it’s hard for me to be upset,” smiled Williams. “Of course, I want to win the match but it’s hard for me because if you’re on tour day in, day out and you lose a match, you’re like, ‘Man, I had some chances.’ I know I lost this match because I need more matches. So, after this match, I’m just thinking like, ‘Ok, what am I going to work on?’ instead of, ‘Gosh, I screwed that up!’

“Yes, I could have played better but the good thing I feel good about is that I did go for it. There weren’t dunks on my head. She definitely played some great shots but I went for it. Sometimes they didn’t land and sometimes she hit some great shots. It’s not that I didn’t know what to do. I just need to keep working on it.”

Williams ended the presser on some loftier themes, reflecting on her role in the fight for equal prize money at the Grand Slams.

“I think for those players now and for the future, it’s to try and leave the game better than you found it. If you have an opportunity to be part of something greater than yourself, definitely do it.”