The 41-year-old Venus, who has seven Grand Slam titles to her name, said she would miss competing at her "favorite slam" and wished all the other players good luck
The Court Three clash of veterans, one of several held over due to rain on Monday, was the 271st victory of a remarkable Grand Slam career for Williams and, despite serving 10 aces, did not come easy.
Williams shrieked in pain before hobbling to her chair to receive medical attention and a retirement looked imminent by the American.
You can't always prepare for the triumph or the disaster in sports or in life. You can't control it all. What you can control is how you handle the ups and the downs.
Canadian Milos Raonic, who also won his first-round match, said Venus was an inspiration for a lot of people even though she had nothing left to prove.