Tennis-Venus's record 24th Wimbledon ends at first hurdle

Tennis - Wimbledon - All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, Britain - July 3, 2023 Venus Williams of the U.S. in action during her first round match against Ukraine's Elina Svitolina REUTERS/Andrew Couldridge

LONDON (Reuters) -Five-time champion Venus Williams returned to Wimbledon a quarter of a century after her first win on the All England Club lawns but was unable to summon the old magic in a painful first-round defeat by Ukraine's Elina Svitolina on Monday.

The 43-year-old American, contesting the Wimbledon singles for a record 24th time, still retains the easy power that once made her the queen of Centre Court but succumbed 6-4 6-3 after a nasty early fall hindered her movement.