Venus Williams Exits 26th US Open in First-Round Loss to Kenin
Source: NBC10 Philadelphia Sports. Casualplayhub News adds summary, context, and editorial framing while linking back to the original report.
Venus Williams’s 26th U.S. Open singles journey ended in the early hours of Monday morning, as the 46-year-old tennis legend fell to fellow American Sofia Kenin in straight sets, 6-2, 7-6(6). The match did not start until after midnight, setting a new tournament record for the latest start time – 12:13 a.m., six minutes later than the previous mark set by Aryna Sabalenka’s 2024 round-of-32 match. The delay was caused by Novak Djokovic’s four-hour, 36-minute defeat to Mariano Navone on Arthur Ashe Stadium, which pushed Williams and Kenin close to being moved to a different court.
Kenin, playing as a wild card, needed only 32 minutes to capture the first set, capitalizing on Williams’s shaky start. However, Williams fought back in the second set, showing flashes of her vintage form. She rallied from a 4-2 deficit to force a tiebreak, exciting the late-night crowd. But after holding multiple set points, Williams’s backhand found the net, ending the match at 2:01 a.m. – the latest finish for a first-round match in US Open history, and the third-latest for any women’s match at the tournament.
“I had a lot of great moments,” Williams said. “As the match progressed, I just kept pushing myself to try to find my best tennis and to find my rhythm. It’s not easy to do in the first round. It’s not easy to do at 1 or 2 a.m. in the morning to try to find your rhythm and play your best, but I tried my best.”
The loss extends Williams’s string of singles defeats to 14 consecutive matches, dating back to her last victory in Washington in July 2025. She has now lost six straight matches at the US Open since winning a first-round match in 2019. Despite the difficulties, Williams declined to reflect on whether this might be her final Grand Slam singles appearance. “I don’t think I should have to,” she told reporters. “My mind is fully focused on that: how I recover from this completely insane evening and get ready for the next one.”
That next challenge is doubles, where she and her sister Serena Williams have received a wild-card entry. The pair have won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles together, including the US Open in 1999 and 2009. Venus’s singles career, however, boasts seven Grand Slam titles – two at the US Open (2000, 2001) and five at Wimbledon (2000-2008). She also held the world No. 1 ranking and is a quarter-century removed from her second New York championship.
Kenin, 27, acknowledged the difficulty of facing a legend. “Venus obviously was playing some amazing tennis,” she 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.”
Williams’s late-night start was far from ideal. “It’s not ideal,” she said. “I would have preferred something else, definitely. It wasn’t great for either of us, so I think we both tried our best.” The tournament’s scheduling decisions raised questions, but Williams remained diplomatic.
As she walks off Arthur Ashe Stadium court for perhaps the last time as a singles player, Venus Williams leaves behind a legacy that transcends tennis. Her impact on the sport, her battles with Sjögren’s syndrome, and her advocacy for equal prize money have cemented her as one of the game’s most influential figures. For now, her focus remains on the doubles draw with Serena, a partnership that has thrilled fans for decades. The ball may not have been going in as often as she’d like, but as Williams herself said, “soaking it in is more fun when the ball’s going in.”
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Venus Williams’s first-round exit at the 2025 US Open marks another chapter in the twilight of a storied career. At 46, competing against players half her age, the seven-time Grand Slam champion has not won a singles match since July 2025 – a drought that now stretches to 14 consecutive losses. While the numbers paint a stark picture, the context of her late-night marathon against Sofia Kenin reveals a competitor who still refuses to surrender. The scheduling controversy deserves attention. The match began at 12:13 a.m., the latest start in US Open history, after Novak Djokovic’s five-set thriller pushed the evening session deep into the night. For a player of Williams’s age and experience, such a delay is far from ideal. It disrupts rhythm, recovery, and preparation. Yet Williams, ever the professional, did not complain. Her focus shifted immediately to doubles with sister Serena, a partnership that has defined an era. This resilience speaks to her character – a trait that has made her one of the most respected figures in tennis. Williams’s second-set fightback, rallying from a break down to force a tiebreak, showed that her competitive fire remains. Despite losing, she managed to take the set to a tiebreak and held set points. Kenin, a former Australian Open champion and world No. 4, had to dig deep to close out the match. The final score, 6-2, 7-6(6), does not fully capture the tension of the late-night drama. The larger question is whether this defeat signals the end of Venus Williams’s singles career. She has declined to address retirement directly, but the pattern of losses and the physical toll of the tour suggest change is inevitable. For a player who once dominated the sport with power and grace, the current struggles are a reminder of time’s relentless march. Yet Venus has never been one to define herself solely by wins and losses. Her advocacy for equal prize money, her openness about her autoimmune disease, and her role as a trailblazer for African American athletes have left an indelible mark. The doubles draw with Serena offers a poignant coda. The Williams sisters, now in their 40s, have won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles together. Their bond transcends tennis, and their appearances together draw massive crowds. Even if Venus’s singles career ends with this loss, her legacy is secure. She has inspired generations, and her impact on the women’s game is immeasurable. For the US Open, the late-night scheduling remains a vexing issue. Players and fans alike suffer when matches are forced into the early morning hours. While television contracts and commercial interests play a role, the tournament must consider the welfare of its athletes. Venus Williams, a champion who has given so much to the sport, deserved a more reasonable start time. That she took it in stride is a testament to her professionalism. As the tennis world watches Venus Williams’s next steps, one thing is clear: her influence extends far beyond the scoreboard. Whether she continues to compete or steps away from singles, her place in the pantheon of tennis greats is unquestionable.