Venus Williams continues her singles losing streak, now at 13 matches. The seven-time major champion suffered a 6-2, 6-2 defeat against Emiliana Arango at the Cincinnati Open’s first round. Williams, aged 46, entered the WTA 1000 event as a wild-card but hasn’t won a singles match since July 2025. Arango, a 25-year-old qualifier from Colombia ranked 95th, secured victory over Williams in one hour and five minutes at the Lindner Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio. Williams struggled after losing her serve in the first game, while Arango capitalized on break points, converting 4 out of 5 and winning 71% of her first-serve points. In contrast, Williams failed to seize her break opportunity and only managed a 41% first-serve points success rate. Looking ahead, Arango is set to face No. 7 seed Iga Swiatek in the second round, who is the defending Cincinnati champion.
Venus Williams last tasted victory in singles competition at the Washington tournament last year, defeating Peyton Stearns. Reflecting on her performance, Williams expressed a need for more consistency in her game despite feeling in control of the points. This marks Williams’s 11th appearance at the Cincinnati event. She remains positive about her game but acknowledges the need for improvement in finishing off points.
Following her singles match, Venus Williams will team up with her sister Serena for the doubles event in Cincinnati as they received a wild-card entry. The sisters last played doubles together at the 2022 U.S. Open due to Serena’s injury sidelining them at Wimbledon. Their first-round opponents will be Marta Kostyuk and Peyton Stearns as the doubles competition kicks off on Sunday. Looking ahead, Venus Williams is also scheduled to compete in mixed doubles at the upcoming U.S. Open alongside Alexander Bublik.