"Everyone just shut it, Venus Williams has earned every right to play" - Andy Roddick

Andy Roddick recently shut down people who questioned Venus Williams' decision to play at the age of 43.

Williams emerged victorious after a three-hour and 17 minutes battle against Camila Giorgi 7-6 (5), 4-6, 7-6 (6) in the first round of the 2023 Rothesay Classic in Birmingham. The win marked Williams' first top-50 victory in almost four years. The match was also one of the longest of the year, ranking joint 13th in terms of duration.

During Roddick's recent appearance on the Tennis Channel, he shut down individuals who questioned Venus Williams' decision to continue playing at the age of 43. He firmly stated that players like Williams and Andy Murray have earned the right to play for as long as they desire.

Roddick emphasized that these athletes are competing for moments of accomplishment and should be allowed to pursue their passion for as long as they see fit. Furthermore, he expressed his admiration for Venus Williams after her recent victory against Giorgi. He noted how relieved and satisfied she appeared after the win.

"Anyone who says oh they shouldn’t be playing anymore, just shut it. Venus has earned every right to play. Andy Murray has earned every single right to play. They are the greats for a reason. They’re not competing against their own shadow at this point. They’re competing for those moments of accomplishment and we saw that with Venus. How relieved she was, how satisfied she was with herself after that. Rightfully so," Roddick said.

Andy Roddick was thoroughly impressed with Venus Williams' performance against Giorgi. Despite the challenges of slow surfaces, Williams managed to create enough pace to dominate the match.

However, Roddick expressed concern for her injured knee, especially with the 2023 Wimbledon championships on the horizon. Nevertheless, he encouraged Williams to focus on her victory and deal with any future worries later.

"On the slower surfaces, I think she has a tough time moving in and out of the courts. But she can still create pace. That serve looked amazing today. I am curious to see how that knee is going to hold up. The conversation starts becoming listen ‘do I do I push it here or do I save it for Wimbledon?’ But none of that matters tonight. Enjoy the victory Venus, you deserved it. It was so much fun to watch. I loved it," he said.

"I couldn't move as well as I wanted but I tried to get to every ball that I could" - Venus Williams

Venus Williams at the 2023 Rothesay Classic Birmingham

Following her victory against Camila Giorgi, Venus Williams revealed that she encountered some discomfort in her leg during the third game. However, she persevered and made an effort to push through the pain.

The former World No. 1 also mentioned that her mobility on the court was somewhat hindered, but she made every effort to reach every ball.

"I got to a great start, my leg started hurting in the third game, I was like 'Oh no, not this.' It was really hard to control my emotions to be honest and eventually I just acclimated to what I was going through and tried to ignore it," the American said.

"I couldn't move as well as I wanted but I tried to hit every ball that I could."

Venus Williams will next take on second seed Jelena Ostapenko in the second round of the Rothesay Classic.