Venus Williams returned to motion after a five-month damage | Twitter@LibemaOpen

Venus Williams' return to motion following a five-month damage layoff resulted in defeat because the seven-times Grand Slam champion fell to Swiss teenager Celine Naef in three units on the Libema Open grasscourt match in Rosmalen, Netherlands.

With sister Serena, who retired final yr, watching on within the crowd, the 42-year-old Williams began brightly however misplaced the carefully fought second within the tiebreak earlier than fading away within the decider on June 13. The former World No. 1, a five-time winner at Wimbledon, misplaced 3-6 7-6 (6-3) 6-2 to 17-year-old Naef in two hours and 18 minutes.

Matchpoint for Celine Naef in her match towards Venus Williams💥#LibemaOpen#LO2023pic.twitter.com/VoBgnpQ8CV

— Libéma Open🎾 (@LibemaOpen) June 13, 2023

"I cannot believe I had the chance to play against Venus," Naef mentioned after her first win on the WTA Tour. "She's an amazing player and really a role model for anyone."

Williams, who was handed a wildcard for the match, had been sidelined since January after sustaining a hamstring damage in Auckland that compelled her to withdraw from the Australian Open. She gained her final main singles title in London in 2008. This yr's Wimbledon match begins on July 3.