Emotional Venus Williams defies expectations on US Open return

Only time will tell if we have witnessed the final occasion that 45-year-old Venus Williams steps out at the US Open.

The American icon's performance in a gallant first-round defeat by Czech 11th seed Karolina Muchova suggested there is more mileage left in the tank.

But, at the end of a moving night, the seven-time Grand Slam champion did not want to look too far ahead.

Instead she reflected on how she has battled back from serious health issues to push the world's best players to their limit - against the odds.

"Getting back on the court was about giving myself a chance to play more healthy," Williams said in an emotional post-match news conference.

"When you play unhealthy, it's in your mind. It's not just how you feel. You get stuck in your mind too. So it was nice to be freer."

Williams tailed off in what proved to be her final answer, becoming visibly upset before the interview was cut short following a long silence.

In 2011, Williams was diagnosed with Sjogren's syndrome, an incurable autoimmune disease with symptoms including pain, numbness and fatigue.

Last month, she revealed how she had also been affected by the severity of painful fibroids - abnormal growths that develop in the uterus.

After Monday's 6-3 2-6 6-1 defeat, Williams remembered how she felt "uncomfortable" against the same opponent in a one-sided loss at the 2020 US Open.

"I wasn't well. I was in so much pain. Today it's night and day how much better I felt," Williams said.

"I'm so grateful to have had the opportunity to play feeling better."