Venus Williams became the oldest woman to compete in the Australian Open singles main draw on Sunday, but the 45-year-old tennis legend fell to Serbia's Olga Danilovic in a dramatic first-round match, losing 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-4.​

Williams made history the moment she stepped onto John Cain Arena at Melbourne Park, surpassing the previous record held by Japan's Kimiko Date-Krumm, who was 44 when she competed in the tournament in 2015.

The seven-time Grand Slam champion received a wildcard entry for her first Australian Open appearance in five years and her 22nd career participation at the tournament, according to the BBC.​

The American started strong in the intense two-hour, 17-minute battle, winning the first set in a tiebreak with a forehand winner down the line. Danilovic, ranked 68th in the world and more than two decades younger than Williams, leveled the match by taking the second set 6-3.​

Williams appeared poised for victory when she surged to a commanding 4-0 lead in the final set. However, Danilovic mounted a remarkable comeback, winning six consecutive games to close out the match. The turning point came in a pivotal ninth game that lasted more than 14 minutes, during which Williams saved two break points and had six game points before Danilovic finally broke her serve to take a 5-4 lead.​

The defeat marked Williams' sixth consecutive loss since her only win during her comeback at Washington last year. Her last Grand Slam singles victory came at Wimbledon in 2021, WTA Tennis reported.​

Despite the loss, Williams remained positive about her performance. "It was such a great game, such a great moment," she said after the match. "I'm really proud of my effort today because I'm playing better with each match, getting to the places that I want to get to".​

Williams struggled with her serve throughout the match, committing five double faults and winning just 34 percent of her second-service points. Danilovic registered 12 return winners and acknowledged the significance of the moment, saying, "Playing against Venus Williams is something that I cannot take for granted".​

Williams will continue her Australian Open campaign in the women's doubles competition alongside Ekaterina Alexandrova. She is a four-time women's doubles champion at Melbourne Park, winning each title with her sister Serena Williams, as per Olympics.

Originally published on Enstarz