"It’s 2023 and Venus Williams is still winning" - Tennis fans hail the icon's longevity after R1 win at ASB Classic 2023

The tennis world was yet again in awe of Venus Williams as she kicked off her 30th year as a professional player with a straight-sets win against Katie Volynets at the 2023 ASB Classic.

Williams received a wildcard entry into the main draw of the ongoing WTA 250 tournament in Auckland. The 42-year-old defeated her 21-year-old compatriot 7-6 (4), 6-2 in one hour and 55 minutes in the opening match on Monday (January 2). The American legend, who made her WTA debut in October 1994 at the age of just 14, displayed high-quality tennis against Volynets.

Venus Williams ended her six-match losing streak after her last singles win came against Mihaela Buzarnescu of Romania at the 2021 Wimbledon. She spent almost a year on the sidelines due to injuries and finally returned at the Citi Open last year. She lost all four opening-round matches of the tournaments that she played in 2022, resulting in her ranking sinking to 1,003.

However, winning the first match of 2023 gave a sigh of relief to her fans, who showered praise on the seven-time Grand Slam champion for her scarcely believable perseverance. Since her debut in 1994, the only season in which the icon did not register a win was 2022.

"Oh yesss, my girl Venus won her first match in a while! Go, Venus, go! She played a great match against a youngster. These days, it's not easy out there," a fan tweeted.

"Great victory of Venus who beats Katie Volynets 7-6 6-2, her first win since R1 Wimbledon 2021. Of course, Volynets is not world class (currently ranked #114) and Venus had some challenges closing it out, but she really played well," a user posted.

"Venus winning singles matches on the professional tour 29 seasons apart has to be one of the great sporting statistics," another tweet read.

Here are some more reactions:

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Venus Williams to face Lin Zhu in R2 of ASB Classic 2023

Venus Williams during her first-round match in Auckland

Venus Williams, who is on the hunt for her 50th singles tour title, will square off against China's Lin Zhu in the second round of the ASB Classic on Wednesday (January 4). World No. 84 Zhu beat 57th-ranked Madison Brengle of America 4-6, 7-6(6), 6-4 in the first round of the ASB Classic.

Williams has also received a wildcard entry into the main draw of the 2023 Australian Open. During a Q&A session with fans on social media, the American was recently asked if she intended on playing the entire 2023 schedule. She responded by saying that she will take part in some of the tournaments.

"I've never played as many tournaments as most players but I will make some appearances. Stay tuned," Venus Williams said.