After missing nearly five months due to injury, seven-time major champion Venus Williams made her return to competitive tennis on Wednesday, losing to 17-year-old Celine Naef in the first round of the Libema Open.

It was Naef’s first WTA tournament and subsequent first win on the tour. She was in awe after the match and showered some praise on Williams.

“Amazing. I cannot believe I had the chance to play against Venus,” Naef said. “She’s an amazing player and really a role model for everyone.”

Williams was a four-time major winner before Naef was born, but the young up-and-comer topped the 42-year-old legendary tennis icon. Williams won the first set 6-3 and looked back to her old ways, but a loss in a second-set tiebreak led to a breakdown in the third and decisive set, one Williams lost 2-6.

Williams could be gearing up for a return to major tennis at Wimbledon, which starts July 3. She has won the event five times but missed it entirely last season due to another injury, one of three Grand Slams she missed in 2022.

Venus Williams has nothing left to prove in the sport of tennis and it is likely hard for a lot of her fans to watch her struggle the way she has in recent years. She has not made it past the third round of a major since 2017 when she reached two finals. Currently ranked as the 696th women’s tennis player in the world, the next couple of tournaments may be the last of a historic career for Venus Williams.