Venus Williams continues to struggle in singles matches, extending her losing streak to 13 games. The former seven-time major champion was convincingly beaten 6-2, 6-2 by Emiliana Arango in the first round of the Cincinnati Open. Williams, aged 46, entered the WTA 1000 event as a wildcard and has not secured a singles victory since July 2025.
Arango, a 25-year-old Colombian qualifier ranked 95th, took just over an hour to defeat Williams at the Lindner Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio. Williams faced an early setback as her serve was broken in the opening game, leading to a challenging match thereafter. Arango capitalized on 4 out of 5 break points and won 71% of her first-serve points. On the other hand, Williams struggled to convert her lone break opportunity and only managed to win 41% of her first-serve points.
Reflecting on her win, Arango mentioned that taking an early lead helped calm her nerves and allowed her to maintain pressure on Williams throughout the match. In the upcoming round, Arango is set to face the 7th seed and defending champion, Iga Swiatek.
Williams’ most recent singles triumph dates back to last year in Washington against Peyton Stearns. Despite expressing satisfaction with her shot control, Williams acknowledged the need to enhance her consistency to finish points effectively.
Following her singles exit, Venus Williams will partner with her sister Serena in the doubles event, having received a wildcard entry. The sisters, who last played doubles together at the 2022 U.S. Open, were initially slated to compete at Wimbledon before Serena’s injury. Their first-round doubles match in Cincinnati will be against Marta Kostyuk and Peyton Stearns, with the tournament’s doubles segment commencing on Sunday.
Looking ahead, Venus is also scheduled to participate in mixed doubles at the upcoming U.S. Open alongside Alexander Bublik, aiming to enter the tournament well-prepared and eager for success.
