Venus Williams’s singles losing streak has now extended to 13 matches. The former seven-time major champion suffered a 6-2, 6-2 defeat at the hands of Emiliana Arango during the opening round of the Cincinnati Open. Williams, aged 46, entered the WTA 1000 event as a wild-card recipient and has not secured a singles victory since July 2025. Arango, a 25-year-old Colombian qualifier ranked 95th, managed to overcome Williams in one hour and five minutes on the grandstand court at Lindner Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio.
The match began with Williams losing her serve in the first game, setting the tone for a challenging contest. Arango capitalized on 4 out of 5 break points and won 71% of her first-serve points, while Williams struggled to convert her sole break opportunity and only achieved a 41% success rate on first-serve points. Reflecting on her victory, Arango mentioned that taking an early lead helped calm her nerves and maintain pressure on Williams.
In the upcoming round, Arango will face the defending Cincinnati champion, Iga Swiatek, seeded No. 7. Williams’s most recent singles triumph occurred last year in Washington against Peyton Stearns. Despite feeling in control of the match, Williams acknowledged the need for improved consistency in finishing points effectively.
Following her singles disappointment, Williams will partner with her sister, Serena, for the doubles event in Cincinnati. The renowned siblings, who last played doubles together at the 2022 U.S. Open, were set to compete at Wimbledon before Serena’s injury. Their first-round opponents will be Marta Kostyuk and Peyton Stearns, with the doubles competition commencing on Sunday. Venus Williams expressed enthusiasm for the doubles event and is also scheduled to participate in mixed doubles at the upcoming U.S. Open alongside Alexander Bublik.