FIVE-TIME CHAMPION VENUS Williams insists her Wimbledon journey is not over after she bowed out in the second round.
The 41-year-old, who first appeared at SW19 in 1997 and won her first title way back in 2000, was beaten 6-0 7-5 by Tunisian Ons Jabeur on Court One.
Given her age and declining results, the senior Williams sister is continually asked about her future and was again pressed on whether she would be back next year.
“Of course, it’s incredible any time you get to play here,” she said. “It just never gets old. Yeah, definitely not my best day. Maybe a few too many errors. But I think a lot of it was how she played.”
Asked whether she wants to return in 2022, she said: “Of course. Who wouldn’t want to be at Wimbledon? Lots of people want to be here.
“Yeah, when it’s my last, I’ll let you know. I’ll give you a little whisper in your ear.”
Williams’ sister Serena had to pull out on Tuesday after suffering an injury after slipping in her first-round match.
“I absolutely couldn’t watch. It was too much,” the older sister said. “I just couldn’t watch it. I know exactly what that feels like when, you know, all your faculties are taken away, things you work hard for and earn, and suddenly life happens.
“It was too much for me to watch.
“I think she’s doing the best you can when you get hurt. It’s awful. It sucks.”
Elsewhere, second seed Aryna Sabalenka was happy to overcome the nerves of her Centre Court debut and beat home favourite Katie Boulter.
On a day where several seeds tumbled at Wimbledon, the number two seed came through a tough battle against Boulter, winning 4-6 6-3 6-3.
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She recovered from a difficult start to silence a partisan crowd and progress to the third round.
“I’m proud that I actually could get through this match because I was really emotional in the beginning and I didn’t really feel the surface out there,” said Sabalenka.
“She was playing really great. Of course, the crowd was supporting her more.
“I felt like everything was against me, and I’m really happy that I could, like, separate myself from the people and everything, and just think about my game, what I have to do.
“So really proud that I could stay focused and keep fighting for every opportunity I had.
“I was really nervous because I knew there’s a lot of people there supporting her. It’s Centre Court. I haven’t play on the Centre Court yet. Like I didn’t know what to expect.”
Fourth seed Sofia Kenin’s horrible 2021 continued as she crashed out in the second round.
The American, who won the Australian Open in 2020, was beaten 6-2 6-4 by compatriot Madison Brengle to become the biggest casualty of the women’s draw so far.
Kenin only made it to the second round at this year’s Australian Open and got to the fourth round in the French Open.
She said: “I really did not feel my game. Of course she played well. She’s playing well, obviously. I just feel like leading up to Wimbledon I didn’t have enough preparation on the grass.
“I kind of had like a minor injury leading up to Wimbledon, which is why I had to pull out of Eastbourne.”
Fifth seed Bianca Andreescu also went out after losing in the first round to Alize Cornet.
The former US Open champion, who is seeded fifth, was playing just her second ever match at SW19 and first since 2017, but was taken down 6-2 6-1.
The match was postponed on Tuesday because of rain and Andreescu will wish it never started on Wednesday.
Third seed Elina Svitolina did prevail with a 6-3 2-6 6-3 win over Alison Van Uytvanck in her delayed first-round match.
And she is dreaming of a third round date on Centre Court, followed by watching her native Ukraine beat England in Euro 2020.
Asked whether she would prefer to play on the main show court or see her team win, she said: “That’s a very tricky question. Well I would prefer to play on Centre Court and then Ukraine beat England, that’s the ideal.”
Seventh seed Iga Swiatek also made it through beating Vera Zvonereva 6-1 6-3, while 2015 champion Garbine Muguruza is looking in ominous form as, after only dropping one game in her first round win, she posted an impressive 6-1 6-4 victory over Lesley Pattinama Kerkhove.
Karolina Pliskova and Victoria Azarenka enjoyed easy wins, but ninth seed Belinda Bencic went out.
And Emma Raducanu was in shock at her journey from the exam hall to Wimbledon after marking her debut at the All England Club with victory over Vitalia Diatchenko.
Like Jack Draper, who also seized his moment to make a name for himself against Novak Djokovic on Monday, Raducanu has long been marked out as a potential star of the future.
And the 18-year-old set about proving why, recovering from 4-1 down in the opening set to defeat qualifier Diatchenko, who is ranked nearly 200 places higher, 7-6 (4) 6-0.
It was about as good a draw as Raducanu could have had but the Kent teenager, whose progress into the senior ranks has been stalled by Covid and the fact she stayed in school, still went into the match as a clear underdog.
Raducanu said: “I had my final A-level examinations in April, so I was actually sitting for an exam two months ago. So now to be here at Wimbledon is unbelievable, it’s surreal.
“I had to actually double check the score at the end of the match. I thought it was a first serve maybe. I’m just really pleased to be into the second round. I feel like I’m playing and everything is just a bonus to me right now. I’m just really enjoying myself, just taking the moment in really.
“The support I had today was quite incredible. They definitely pushed me through some of the tough moments.”
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Venus Williams insists Wimbledon journey not over after early exit, Sabalenka ‘proud’ after beating Boulter
FIVE-TIME CHAMPION VENUS Williams insists her Wimbledon journey is not over after she bowed out in the second round.
The 41-year-old, who first appeared at SW19 in 1997 and won her first title way back in 2000, was beaten 6-0 7-5 by Tunisian Ons Jabeur on Court One.
Given her age and declining results, the senior Williams sister is continually asked about her future and was again pressed on whether she would be back next year.
“Of course, it’s incredible any time you get to play here,” she said. “It just never gets old. Yeah, definitely not my best day. Maybe a few too many errors. But I think a lot of it was how she played.”
Asked whether she wants to return in 2022, she said: “Of course. Who wouldn’t want to be at Wimbledon? Lots of people want to be here.
“Yeah, when it’s my last, I’ll let you know. I’ll give you a little whisper in your ear.”
Williams’ sister Serena had to pull out on Tuesday after suffering an injury after slipping in her first-round match.
“I absolutely couldn’t watch. It was too much,” the older sister said. “I just couldn’t watch it. I know exactly what that feels like when, you know, all your faculties are taken away, things you work hard for and earn, and suddenly life happens.
“It was too much for me to watch.
“I think she’s doing the best you can when you get hurt. It’s awful. It sucks.”
Elsewhere, second seed Aryna Sabalenka was happy to overcome the nerves of her Centre Court debut and beat home favourite Katie Boulter.
On a day where several seeds tumbled at Wimbledon, the number two seed came through a tough battle against Boulter, winning 4-6 6-3 6-3.
She recovered from a difficult start to silence a partisan crowd and progress to the third round.
“I’m proud that I actually could get through this match because I was really emotional in the beginning and I didn’t really feel the surface out there,” said Sabalenka.
“She was playing really great. Of course, the crowd was supporting her more.
“I felt like everything was against me, and I’m really happy that I could, like, separate myself from the people and everything, and just think about my game, what I have to do.
“So really proud that I could stay focused and keep fighting for every opportunity I had.
“I was really nervous because I knew there’s a lot of people there supporting her. It’s Centre Court. I haven’t play on the Centre Court yet. Like I didn’t know what to expect.”
Fourth seed Sofia Kenin’s horrible 2021 continued as she crashed out in the second round.
The American, who won the Australian Open in 2020, was beaten 6-2 6-4 by compatriot Madison Brengle to become the biggest casualty of the women’s draw so far.
Kenin only made it to the second round at this year’s Australian Open and got to the fourth round in the French Open.
She said: “I really did not feel my game. Of course she played well. She’s playing well, obviously. I just feel like leading up to Wimbledon I didn’t have enough preparation on the grass.
“I kind of had like a minor injury leading up to Wimbledon, which is why I had to pull out of Eastbourne.”
Fifth seed Bianca Andreescu also went out after losing in the first round to Alize Cornet.
The former US Open champion, who is seeded fifth, was playing just her second ever match at SW19 and first since 2017, but was taken down 6-2 6-1.
The match was postponed on Tuesday because of rain and Andreescu will wish it never started on Wednesday.
Third seed Elina Svitolina did prevail with a 6-3 2-6 6-3 win over Alison Van Uytvanck in her delayed first-round match.
And she is dreaming of a third round date on Centre Court, followed by watching her native Ukraine beat England in Euro 2020.
Asked whether she would prefer to play on the main show court or see her team win, she said: “That’s a very tricky question. Well I would prefer to play on Centre Court and then Ukraine beat England, that’s the ideal.”
Seventh seed Iga Swiatek also made it through beating Vera Zvonereva 6-1 6-3, while 2015 champion Garbine Muguruza is looking in ominous form as, after only dropping one game in her first round win, she posted an impressive 6-1 6-4 victory over Lesley Pattinama Kerkhove.
Karolina Pliskova and Victoria Azarenka enjoyed easy wins, but ninth seed Belinda Bencic went out.
And Emma Raducanu was in shock at her journey from the exam hall to Wimbledon after marking her debut at the All England Club with victory over Vitalia Diatchenko.
Like Jack Draper, who also seized his moment to make a name for himself against Novak Djokovic on Monday, Raducanu has long been marked out as a potential star of the future.
And the 18-year-old set about proving why, recovering from 4-1 down in the opening set to defeat qualifier Diatchenko, who is ranked nearly 200 places higher, 7-6 (4) 6-0.
It was about as good a draw as Raducanu could have had but the Kent teenager, whose progress into the senior ranks has been stalled by Covid and the fact she stayed in school, still went into the match as a clear underdog.
Raducanu said: “I had my final A-level examinations in April, so I was actually sitting for an exam two months ago. So now to be here at Wimbledon is unbelievable, it’s surreal.
“I had to actually double check the score at the end of the match. I thought it was a first serve maybe. I’m just really pleased to be into the second round. I feel like I’m playing and everything is just a bonus to me right now. I’m just really enjoying myself, just taking the moment in really.
“The support I had today was quite incredible. They definitely pushed me through some of the tough moments.”
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