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Five-time Wimbledon champion Venus Williams' first-round loss at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells has angered many fans. They said that it was not acceptable to see her come up with such a poor show after getting a wild card.
Fans said that Venus, who has won seven Grand Slam titles, has no business being on the tennis court. Japanese qualifier Nao Hibino won 10 consecutive games from 6-2, 3-2 down to beat Venus in three sets.
Hibino broke Venus from 0-40 down at 3-3 and 15-40 down at 5-3 in the second set. She also saved three break points in the first game of the final set.
"Venus Williams needs to retire already. This isa tough watch. I don't knowif she's broke or what but she has no business still being out there. Willie Mays from beyond the grave is telling her to give it up," a fan posted on X (formerly Twitter).
Even ardent fans found her performance dismal, stating that losing 10 games in a row to a novice was simply unacceptable.
"I am the biggest Venus Williams fan but it’s really just not acceptable losing 10 games in a row to a harmless pusher like Hibino," a fan said.
The poor show by Venus Williams against lowly ranked players has irked fans who said that she should seriously consider retiring from the sport.
"I hate to say it, But Venus Williams is done should retire," a fan said. "Venus, you have nothing to prove. One of the greatest ever. It's time," another fan said.
Some fans said that Venus should have won the match in straight sets after being one set up and a lead in the second but didn't show the drive and ended up wasting an opportunity that would have been used by deserving players.
"Love and respect Venus, but at this point she is taking a spot from someone more deserving. She was gassed 20 minutes in," a fan said.
Here are some more reactions from fans:
Venus Williams' injury-hit 2023 season saw early exits at tournaments
Venus Williams started her 2023 season at the ASB Classic in Auckland. But she lost in the second round. She looked all set to participate in the Australian Open in 2023 but pulled out due to a leg injury she sustained at the ASB Classic.
Venus sat on the sidelines for the next few months fuelling speculation that she would retire. But she returned to action at the Libema Open, a WTA-250 event played in the Netherlands, as a wild card in June.
Despite losing to fellow wild card Celine Naef at the tournament, Venus assured fans that she would continue playing. She even addressed her fans on social media after her loss to Naef with an optimistic statement.
Venus then played at the Rothesay Classic in Birmingham where she won the first round match against Italy's Camila Giorgi. However, she lost to former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko in three sets in the second round of the tournament.
Venus Williams and Father Richard recall one match that 7-time Grand Slam champion "should have won"
