Venus Williams extended her singles losing streak to 13 matches as she suffered a 6-2, 6-2 defeat at the hands of Emiliana Arango in the Cincinnati Open’s first round. The seven-time major champion, aged 46, entered the WTA 1000 event on a wild-card entry and has not secured a singles victory since July 2025. Arango, a 25-year-old qualifier from Colombia ranked 95th, triumphed over Williams in one hour and five minutes on the grandstand court at Lindner Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio.
From the outset, Williams faced an uphill battle after having her serve broken in the opening game. Arango capitalized on 4 of 5 break points and won 71% of her first-serve points, while Williams struggled to convert on her lone break opportunity and only managed to win 41% of her first-serve points. Reflecting on her early lead, Arango mentioned that it helped calm her nerves and maintain pressure on Williams throughout the match.
Arango is now set to face the No. 7 seed and defending Cincinnati champion, Iga Swiatek, in the second round. Williams’s previous singles victory occurred last year in Washington against Peyton Stearns. Despite feeling in control during points, Williams acknowledged the need to enhance her consistency to finish matches more effectively.
Following her singles defeat, Williams will team up with her sister, Serena, for the doubles event in Cincinnati, where they received a wild-card entry. The Williams 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 opponents in Cincinnati will be Marta Kostyuk and Peyton Stearns, with the doubles competition commencing on Sunday.
Looking ahead, Venus Williams expressed enthusiasm for the upcoming doubles matches and confirmed her participation in mixed doubles at the U.S. Open later this month alongside Alexander Bublik.
