Venus Williams walked into the John Cain Arena with history within reach. At 43, she was hoping to become the oldest player to win a match at the Australian Open – and for a while it seemed inevitable.
But tennis can be cruel and on Sunday, January 18, world No. 69 Olga Danilovic tore up the script with a stunning first-round comeback at Melbourne Park. After two hours and 17 minutes of absorbing tennis, Danilovic prevailed 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-4, denying Williams a fairytale ending.
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The breakthrough came in the deciding set. Williams took a 4-0 lead with a double break, dictated the game and moved ever closer to history. What followed, however, was remarkable. Danilovic reeled off six games in a row and refused to give Williams even a look when the momentum swung.
Williams, who became the oldest player to compete at Melbourne Park, took the opening set and was on the verge of something special. But Danilovic’s resilience and belief proved decisive and the five-time Grand Slam champion fell just short of the record she almost set.
‘NOT EASY’
After the match, Danilovic said she was careful not to take anything for granted against a player of Williams’ stature.
“It wasn’t easy. When we were going out, I said to myself before the match that I really want to take advantage of the moment. I can’t say I enjoyed it because it’s hard to enjoy things on the court, but these moments don’t come every day. Playing against Venus Williams is something I can never take for granted and there were a lot of nerves,” Danilović said in an on-court interview.
“Playing against her is not something I can take for granted”
Olga Danilo has the honor of sharing the court with Venus Williams
Watch and stream Australian Open 2026 live on TNT Sports and discovery+ pic.twitter.com/mxXSiVoFD9— TNT Sports (@tntsports) January 18, 2026
Down 0–4 in the third set, Danilovic, who also played doubles with Novak Djokovic, said she changed her mind at that point and decided to play point by point.
“When I was losing 4-0, I told myself to just play, put everything out of my mind and focus point by point. I am very happy that I managed to win this match and it was a real pleasure to play against such a legend,” Danilovic added.
After a match where she had to fight out of her skin, Danilovic will next face the winner of the match between Coco Gauff and Kamilla Rakhim.
– The end
Issued by:
sabyasachi chowdhury
Published on:
January 18, 2026