Venus Williams faced another defeat in singles competition, extending her losing streak to 13 matches. The seven-time major champion was convincingly beaten 6-2, 6-2 by Emiliana Arango in the opening round of the Cincinnati Open. Williams, aged 46, was granted a wild-card entry to the WTA 1000 event and has not secured a singles victory since July 2025.
Arango, a 25-year-old Colombian qualifier ranked 95th, triumphed over Williams in just over an hour on the grandstand court at Lindner Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio. Williams struggled from the start, losing her serve in the opening game and failing to gain momentum throughout the match. Arango capitalized on break points, converting 4 out of 5, and dominated by winning 71% of her first-serve points. In contrast, Williams struggled with her first serves, managing only a 41% success rate and failing to convert her sole break opportunity.
Reflecting on her win, Arango credited her early lead for calming her nerves and maintaining pressure on Williams. Arango is set to face the 7th seed and defending Cincinnati champion, Iga Swiatek, in the next round.
Williams’ last singles victory occurred in Washington last year against Peyton Stearns. Despite feeling in control of the match, Williams expressed disappointment in her inability to close out points effectively. She emphasized the need to enhance her consistency in crucial moments.
Following her singles exit, Williams will partner with her sister, Serena, in the doubles event at Cincinnati after receiving a wild-card entry. The Williams sisters, who last played doubles together at the 2022 U.S. Open, were previously scheduled to compete at Wimbledon but had to withdraw due to Serena’s injury. Their first-round opponents in Cincinnati will be Marta Kostyuk and Peyton Stearns, with the doubles matches commencing on Sunday.
Looking ahead, Venus Williams is enthusiastic about playing mixed doubles with Alexander Bublik at the upcoming U.S. Open later this month.