Venus Williams extended her singles losing streak to 13 matches as she suffered a 6-2, 6-2 defeat against Emiliana Arango in the opening round of the Cincinnati Open. 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, outplayed Williams in a one-hour five-minute match at Lindner Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio.
From the start, Arango took control by breaking Williams’ serve in the first game, setting the tone for the match. With a 4 out of 5 conversion rate on break points and a 71% success rate on first-serve points, Arango dominated. Williams, on the other hand, struggled to capitalize on her sole break opportunity and only managed a 41% first-serve point efficiency.
Reflecting on her performance, Arango credited her early lead for easing her nerves and emphasized the importance of making Williams work for every point. In the upcoming second round, Arango is set to face No. 7 seed and defending Cincinnati champion Iga Swiatek.
Williams’ most recent singles triumph dates back to Washington last year when she defeated Peyton Stearns. Despite feeling in command of the points, Williams acknowledged the need to enhance her consistency in finishing plays.
Following her singles exit, Williams will team up with her sister, Serena, for the doubles event in Cincinnati. The pair, who last competed together at the 2022 U.S. Open, were set to play at Wimbledon before Serena’s injury. Their first-round opponents will be Marta Kostyuk and Peyton Stearns, with the doubles matches commencing on Sunday.
Looking ahead, Venus Williams expressed excitement about the upcoming doubles challenge and her participation in mixed doubles with Alexander Bublik at the U.S. Open later this month.