"Not sure if Venus got tired, nervous, probably both, but that was definitely a winnable match, she basically donated it to Marino" - Tennis fans react to Venus Williams' first-round loss at the Citi Open

Venus Williams suffered the same fate on her singles return at the Citi Open as sister Serena Williams did at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships, after losing in the first round against a comparatively lesser-known player.

This was the first singles match for seven-time Grand Slam champion Williams since she lost to Hsieh Su-wei at the Chicago Open last August. Although the American legend took the first set, she failed to close out the match, courtesy of 13 painful double faults. Canada's Rebecca Marino put up an extraordinary fight as she won five consecutive games in the third set after trailing 4-1 to win the match 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 in one hour and 52 minutes.

Fans from around the world were excited to see the 42-year-old Williams return. The American received mixed reactions after her first-round exit, with the majority standing beside her in support.

"I’ll never regret an opportunity to watch Venus Williams compete. Some of those rallies were breathtaking," a fan tweeted.

"Proud of the fight @Venuseswilliams. I don’t regret watching a single second of it! You bring me joy watching you play tennis," another user posted.

One fan questioned the wildcard distribution process and suggested that instead of legends, wildcard entries should be given to new and unknown players.

"I think they really need to look into the wildcard eligibility process. On one hand, legends like Venus and Murray deserve it but now I wonder if a young player has received them, then it could be a career changing moment. Maybe they win a round or 2 and things take off," they wrote.

Here are some of the other reactions:

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"Just a little rusty" - Venus Williams

Venus Williams will next play at the Canadian Open

Wildcard entrant Venus Williams' comeback was cut short by qualifier Rebecca Marino, who converted four out of five break point chances. Inspired by Serena Williams, the American played mixed doubles with Jamie Murray at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships last month, where they lost in the second round.

In a press conference after Monday's match, Williams hinted at a lack of match practice, stating that she just needed to play another tournament.

"It's my first match. I didn't think I played well a lot of the times. Just a little rusty. I really put myself in good positions in the third set, too. Just trying to shake off some rust. That's just to be expected. All I can do is just play another tournament and play better. It was so much fun to play in D.C. It was nice to have the crowd behind me. Haven't played a singles match in a year, so definitely a great experience," Venus Williams said.