Venus Williams' emotional US Open press conference cut short in 'executive decision'

An emotional Venus Williams fought back tears while candidly speaking to the media after she was eliminated from the US Open in the first round Monday.

Then, her press conference was cut short.

Williams, 45, was playing her first Grand Slam match in two years after battling multiple health issues, and lost in three sets to 11th-seeded Karolina Muchova.

Venus Williams returns a shot during her first-round match at the US Open on Aug. 25, 2025. Andrew Schwartz/SIPA/Shutterstock

She was asked afterwards if she proved anything to herself due to her valiant showing.

“Oh, what did I prove to myself? I think, for me, getting back on the court was about giving myself a chance to play more healthy,” Williams said. “When you play unhealthy, it’s in your mind, it’s not just how you feel — you get stuck in your mind, too.

“So, um, it was nice to be freer.”

Williams’ voice began to crack at the end of her answer as she stared straight down at the podium, visibly emotional.

After roughly 10 seconds of silence, moderator Gary Sussman ended the press conference.

It was an “executive decision,” according to Bounces, an independent tennis Substack.

Venus Williams was visibly emotional while speaking to the media following her first-round exit at the US Open on Aug. 25, 2025. YouTube / US Open Tennis Championships

Williams underwent surgery for uterine fibroids last year and battled a subsequent health issue that was initially misdiagnosed as Sjogren’s Syndrome.

It resulted in a 16-month layoff before returning to the court last month at the Citi Open in Washington D.C.

“The lights are very bright out there,” Williams said. “I don’t think I’ve ever had a crowd that much on my side. When I lost those first two games, they were just still right there with me every point. Didn’t matter if I was losing and it was starting to roll fast, they were just right there with me, and it felt great.

“I knew going into this match that people in this stadium, people in the United States, people around the world were really rooting for me, and that felt great. That felt great to have that kind of support.”

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