By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Monday, August 14, 2023
Swaying side-to-side in her return position, Venus Williams looked like a woman going places even when the ball wasn't in play.
Comeback queen Williams took a major leap in the Queen City rallying from a break down in both sets to vanquish Veronika Kudermetova 6-4, 7-5 and score her first Top 20 win in four years today.
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The 43-year-old Venus scored a win against advancing age, a triumph over a season-long litany of injury, a victory for all of us 40-plus devoted players and a win for relevance ahead of her US Open return.
The seven-time Grand Slam champion said time off from tennis has helped her heal her body and sharpen her game.
Venus said the assertive tennis she delivered defeating the world No. 16 today is her best level of the year.
"I think I'm at a better level than I started the year, to be honest," Williams told the media in Cincinnati. "I was actually worried about the rain delay, because I'm very traumatized by Auckland and all those rain delays and getting injured after that, like, cooling down and changing serves, going in. I'm, like, Oh, my God, I can't let that happen again to me.
"I think my level is actually higher. My serve is better. Second serve was better. It's really about playing matches. You cannot replicate it. Especially after you take a large amount of time off. You cannot replicate it. You have to keep putting yourself in that position to just play. So that's really where I am right now. I'm fine game-wise, but playing matches is a different ball game."
Despite injury-induced inactivity, Williams showed familiar defiance rallying from 1-4 down in the first set and 0-4 down in the second set. Playing just her seventh match of the season, Williams' power of perseverance remains strong.
"Definitely some big holes today that I usually don't play from. I'm usually ahead," Williams said. "So it was definitely different. But that's tennis. That's what's so exciting."
Afterward, Williams credited Amy Winehouse and younger sister Serena with an assist.
The former world No. 1 was in Paris recovering from a torn hamstring muscle when she passed by Roland Garros and got bitten by the tennis bug.
"I was, like, Man, that looks fun," Venus recalled of seeing the French Open from a fan's perspective.
Visiting sister Serena's apartment in Paris, Venus said she raided her doubles partner closet, pulled out a racquet and some worn-out shoes and began committing to the comeback.
"I was in Paris, and I literally was digging up a racquet," Venus said. "Serena has a place there, and I looked and looked and looked and looked, and I finally found a racquet. I found her shoes. Her shoes had the soles taken out."
Following a fall to Elina Svitolina at Wimbledon, Williams tapped into Amy Winehouse's musical mantra: "Right after Wimbledon, I went straight back to rehab. I felt like Amy Winehouse. I don't want to go."
How far can the No. 533 wild card go in the Queen City and in Queens at the US Open later this month?
Venus said her focus is all about getting better point-by-point—vowing she'll continue to bring the gladiator spirit every match.
"Last week I played in Montreal, got to 5-All, didn't have the greatest service game. So this week was better. It's step by step," Williams said. "Unfortunately, with huge amounts of time off, that's just the price you have to pay. You have to learn again a lot of ways. Even though you know, when you're in the arena, it's a whole lot of other things.
"Each time I play better. So I'm just telling everyone, Pray for me, pray for health, so I can keep stepping back into the arena."
Photo credit: Getty