Overview

• The 45-year-old lost to No. 11 seed Karolina Muchova 6-3, 2-6, 6-1 in a nighttime match at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
• Williams declined to announce retirement and said she has no firm plans for what comes next.
• She indicated she is unlikely to add events this year and ruled out traveling abroad, specifically skipping Guadalajara.
• Her return followed wildcards into Washington, where she won a match, and Cincinnati before receiving a US Open main-draw entry.
• She described three months of near-isolation training and referenced past uterine-fibroid surgery as she emphasized playing pain-free.