"Gracious is the key word here" - Chris Evert delighted by Venus Williams still going strong at the age of 43

Chris Evert hailed Venus Williams' longevity after the latter's valiant display in Birmingham.

Williams faced second seed Jelena Ostapenko in the second round of the Rothesay Classic and put in a resilient performance. However, the Latvian won 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 to book her place in the quarterfinals.

Twitter user '@TheTennisLetter' praised Venus Williams' longevity, calling her the epitome of strength and someone who faced bigotry bravely. The American was also called gracious throughout the toughest moments of her career.

"Since Venus Williams played her 1st match in 1994, she has been the epitome of strength. She’s been brave in the face of bigots. She’s been gracious in the toughest moments of her career. How she’s competing at age 43 only makes her legacy greater. A player worth cherishing," the fan's tweet read.

Evert responded to the tweet by highlighting Williams' graciousness.

"Gracious is the key word here," the former World No. 1 tweeted.

Jelena Ostapenko lavished praise on Williams after their match, calling the American a great champion and an idol for many.

“She’s a great champion and that hasn’t gone anywhere and it’s always gonna be with her. I mean, she’s an idol for a lot of people. So, it was very special," the Latvian said.

After beating Williams, Ostapenko booked her place in the semifinals of the Rothesay Classic by defeating Magdalena Frech 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 in the quarterfinals.

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Venus Williams has won two matches so far in 2023

Venus Williams in action at the Rothesay Classic in Birmingham

Venus Williams has played just five matches so far during the 2023 season, with only two wins to her name. The American started the season at the ASB Classic in Auckland and reached the second round before losing to Zhu Lin. She suffered an injury during the match and did not return to action before the grass-court season.

Williams' second tournament of the year was the Libema Open in 's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands, and she suffered a 3-6, 7-6(3), 6-2 loss to Celine Naef. This was followed by her stint in Birmingham.

Williams is next scheduled to compete at Wimbledon, for which she received a wildcard. The American's last appearance in the singles tournament of the grass-court Major came in 2021 when she suffered a second-round exit at the hands of Ons Jabeur.

It will be interesting to see how the 43-year-old fares at Wimbledon this time.