Venus Williams continues her singles losing streak, now at 13 matches. The seven-time major champion was defeated 6-2, 6-2 by Emiliana Arango in the opening round of the Cincinnati Open. Williams, aged 46, secured a wild-card entry for the WTA 1000 event but has not won a singles match since July 2025. Arango, a 25-year-old Colombian qualifier ranked 95th, took just over an hour to overcome Williams at the Lindner Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio. Williams struggled after losing her serve in the first game, while Arango capitalized on break points and first-serve performance. Arango expressed confidence after the victory and is set to face defending champion Iga Swiatek in the next round.
Williams’ last singles triumph was in Washington last year against Peyton Stearns. Despite feeling in control of the points, Williams acknowledged the need for more consistency to close out matches. She will team up with her sister, Serena, for the doubles event in Cincinnati, with their last doubles appearance together at the 2022 U.S. Open. The Williams sisters were set to play at Wimbledon but had to withdraw due to Serena’s injury. Their upcoming opponents in the first round of doubles are Marta Kostyuk and Peyton Stearns. Venus Williams looks forward to the doubles competition starting on Sunday and is also scheduled to play mixed doubles with Alexander Bublik at the upcoming U.S. Open.