Venus Williams lost to American wild card Sofia Kenin 6-2, 7-6 (6) in the first round of the US Open, closing out just after 2 a.m. Monday in what could be the final Grand Slam singles match of her career.
The match did not begin until 12.13 a.m., the latest start in US Open history, delayed by Novak Djokovic’s 4-hour, 36-minute first-round loss to Mariano Navone on Arthur Ashe Stadium. The 2.01 a.m. finish is the latest ever for a first-round match in the tournament’s history and the third-latest for any women’s match at any stage.
Williams, 46, has now lost 14 consecutive singles matches dating to her last win in Washington in July 2025. She has lost six consecutive first-round matches at the US Open since winning in the opening round in 2019.
Asked after the match whether this was the end of her singles career, Williams said she did not think she should have to address that, and that her focus is entirely on recovering from the late night and getting ready for the doubles tournament with her sister Serena later in the week.
The match
Kenin needed just 32 minutes to win the first set. Williams battled back in the second, climbing from down 4-2 to force a tiebreak, but lost several set points before hitting the ball into the net to end the match.
Kenin, the 2020 Australian Open champion, said Williams was playing some amazing tennis and that she had to keep fighting through nerves to stay strong in the critical moments. It was Kenin’s first night session win at the US Open after entering the match 0-5 in evening play at the tournament.
Venus said the late start was not ideal and that she would have preferred something else, but that neither player had a choice in the circumstances and both tried their best. She said she kept pushing through the match trying to find her rhythm, which is not easy in a first round and not easy at 1 or 2 a.m.
Venus always tries to appreciate the moments on court at this stage of her career, but she said it is all business and there is no room for error. She said soaking it in is more fun when the ball is going in.
A career worth remembering
Williams has won seven Grand Slam singles titles, including two US Open championships in back-to-back years and five Wimbledon titles between 2000 and 2008. She is 46 years old and was given a wild card into the tournament.
This was Venus Williams‘ 26th US Open singles appearance. The match she played Monday morning was against a fellow former major champion, making it the only first-round match at this year’s tournament between former Slam winners on either the men’s or women’s side.
The small group of reporters who stayed up to cover the Venus match heard her speak. The crowd that stayed up to watch gave her something to play for in the second set. They will be back for doubles.
