Overview

• Williams is slated to play Monday on Arthur Ashe against No. 11 seed Karolina Muchova in her first Grand Slam singles match since 2023.
• Organizers awarded her a wildcard for her 25th appearance in New York as she hovers near No. 600 in the WTA rankings.
• She resumed competition in July, winning a match in Washington before early exits at subsequent events including Cincinnati.
• Current players such as Naomi Osaka praised her influence and pushed back on coverage that fixates on her age.
• Her return aligns with the 75th anniversary of Althea Gibson’s breakthrough at the U.S. championships, a milestone Williams publicly honored.