Venus Williams suffers first-round exit in record 26th US Open appearance

Venus Williams' 26th US Open singles campaign came to an end in the early hours of Monday as the 46-year-old was beaten in straight sets by fellow American Sofia Kenin.US Open: 46-year-old Venus Williams' 26th campaign cut short by Sofia Kenin in Round 1 (Reuters Photo)Venus Williams' record 26th US Open singles campaign came to an end in the early hours of Monday as she was beaten 6-2, 7-6 (6) by fellow American Sofia Kenin at Arthur Ashe Stadium.The match finally got underway at 12:13 a.m. local US time, following a lengthy delay caused by Novak Djokovic's marathon four-hour, 36-minute defeat to Mariano Navone. The unusually late start set a new US Open record, coming six minutes later than the previous mark set by Aryna Sabalenka and Ekaterina Alexandrova in 2024.For Williams, the night ended with another difficult result. The 46-year-old has now suffered 15 consecutive singles defeats, with her last victory coming in Washington in July 2025. She has also lost six straight matches at the US Open since winning her opening-round contest in 2019.There is still a chance to see Williams back on court at Flushing Meadows this week. She is scheduled to play doubles with her sister Serena, but the seven-time Grand Slam singles champion was not prepared to speculate about what the latest defeat meant for her singles career. "I don't think I should have to," Williams said when asked about her future. "My mind is fully focused on that: how I recover from this completely insane evening and get ready for the next one."Kenin made a quick start and needed just 32 minutes to take the opening set 6-2. Williams responded in the second, making the most of errors from her opponent and producing several impressive shots as the late-night crowd inside Arthur Ashe Stadium tried to lift her. The 46-year-old battled back from 4-2 down to force a tiebreak and had chances to extend the match. However, Kenin held her nerve at the crucial moments, with Williams eventually hitting into the net to bring the contest to an end."Venus obviously was playing some amazing tennis," Kenin said. "I just tried to keep fighting. I didn't feel 100% game-wise, some nerves, but I tried to do the best to stay strong in those moments."The extraordinary schedule meant Williams and Kenin had to wait well into the night before taking the court. Their match was initially at risk of being moved to Louis Armstrong Stadium because Djokovic's match had gone on for so long.Once the men's contest ended, the women's first-round match remained on Arthur Ashe Stadium. The eventual 12:13 a.m. start made it the latest in US Open history.Williams and Kenin then played through the early hours, with the match concluding at 2:01 a.m. local US time. That made it the latest finish ever recorded for a first-round match at the US Open and the third-latest finish for a women's match at any stage of the tournament.While the defeat ended Williams' singles campaign, her appearance at Flushing Meadows may not be over yet. She is set to return to the court alongside Serena in the women's doubles later this week.- EndsPublished By: Saurabh KumarPublished On: Aug 31, 2026 12:36 IST