Plant-Based Venus Williams, 45, Becomes the Oldest Woman Ever in an Australian Open Singles Draw

Venus Williams made history in Melbourne on Sunday. At 45, she became the oldest woman ever to play a main-draw singles match at the Australian Open, and she came within a few points of winning it, before Serbia's Olga Danilovic fought back to win 6-7(5) 6-3 6-4, the WTA reports.

Williams, ranked 576th and playing on a wildcard, won a tense first-set tie-break on John Cain Arena with a forehand winner down the line. After Danilovic took the second, Williams raced to a 4-0, double-break lead in the decider. Danilovic won four games in a row, and a ninth game lasting more than 14 minutes swung the match her way.

It was Williams' first Australian Open in five years and her 22nd in all, 28 years after her debut as a 17-year-old in 1998, when she beat her sister Serena. She left the court smiling:

I'm really proud of my effort today because I'm playing better with each match, getting to the places that I want to get to.

Williams has eaten a mostly plant-based diet for nearly 15 years. She is not strictly vegan, but she says eating plants helps her manage Sjogren's syndrome, an autoimmune disease that can cause fatigue and joint pain, and has helped transform her performance, Plant Based News reports. Her favorites include berry smoothies, sweet potatoes, lentil salads and quinoa, and she launched a vegan protein range, Happy Viking.

Last summer Williams won a tour match at 45, two years after she beat a top-20 seed in Cincinnati at 43. Over in Sydney last week, Hubert Hurkacz won the United Cup with Poland, and Novak Djokovic, who also eats mainly plants, became the oldest champion of the ATP Tour era in November.

Age is just a number when you're powered (mostly) by plants.