Following a 6-1, 7-6 loss to Belgium’s Alison Van Uytvanck, the world number 43, 42-year-old Venus Williams was asked post-match about her plans going forward, only saying: "Right now, I’m just focused on the doubles."

The Williams sisters are scheduled to play together in the women’s doubles and have been handed a first -round match against fellow unseeded pairing Lucie Hradecka and Linda Noskova of the Czech Republic.

Asked about the pair’s forthcoming women’s doubles match Williams said: "More than anything, I want to hold up my side of the court. Be a good sister."

Williams has won four times in New York, twice in the women’s singles in 2000 and 2001, and twice in the women’s doubles, in 1999 and 2009, alongside sister Serena on both occasions.  

In all she has seven Grand Slam singles titles and 14 Grand Slam doubles titles.

The American has also won five Olympic medals - golds in the singles and women’s doubles at Sydney 2000, gold in the women’s doubles at Beijing 2008, gold in the women’s doubles at London 2012 and silver in mixed doubles at Rio 2016.   

All three of Williams' women's doubles golds also came alongside sister Serena.

Serena Williams is set to retire following this year’s US Open, and is due to face second seed Anett Kontaveit of Estonia at Arthur Ashe Stadium in the second round of the women’s singles today.

On the women’s side of the draw, Germany’s Andrea Petkovic also announced her retirement from tennis after her opening-round loss at the Grand Slam to world number 13 Belinda Bencic of Switzerland.

Petkovic, who reached a career-high world ranking of number nine in October 2011, is currently ranked number 104 in the world, and admitted she had been playing with anti-inflammatories and painkillers for the last four weeks due to constant injuries.

Petkovic’s best Grand Slam singles result came at the French Open in 2014 when she reached the semi-finals, before losing to Romania’s Simona Halep.

Speaking after her 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 defeat to Olympic champion Bencic, Petkovic said: "I was glad that it ended like this, with Belinda, somebody I love and respect so much.

"Also that I could bring to the last match everything that I brought to my career, which was grit and tenacity and just respect for the game and for my opponents.

"I think for me I still love the game, still have a tremendous amount of passion for the game.

"It's more the body that is not allowing me to play tennis anymore in a way that I want to play it, train the way I want to train, just play a full season really.

"The last four weeks I've just been playing with painkillers and anti-inflammatories.

"That was just the part that made me decide not to continue anymore, not the lack of passion or want for the game. 

"So I think that was the saddest part in a way."