“I think for me, getting back on the court was about giving myself a chance to play more healthy,” she continued, becoming visibly emotional. “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.”
And while Venus—who’s engaged to actor Andrea Preti—felt comfortable on the court, she noted the support she received from the crowd made this comeback sweeter.
“I don’t think I’ve ever had a crowd that much on my side,” the seven-time Grand Slam singles champion explained. “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.”
She continued, “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.”
