Venus Williams’s current losing streak in singles competition has extended to 13 matches. The 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. Competing as a wild-card entry at the WTA 1000 event, the 46-year-old Williams has not secured a singles victory since July 2025.
Arango, a 25-year-old Colombian qualifier ranked 95th, claimed victory over Williams in one hour and five minutes on the grandstand court at Lindner Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio. Williams faced an early setback as her serve was broken in the first game, leading to a challenging match. Arango capitalized on 4 of 5 break points and won 71% of her first-serve points, while Williams struggled to convert her sole break opportunity and only managed a 41% success rate on first-serve points.
Reflecting on her victory, Arango mentioned that taking an early lead helped ease her nerves and maintain pressure on Williams throughout the match. In the upcoming second round, Arango is set to face No. 7 seed and defending Cincinnati champion Iga Swiatek.
Williams’s most recent singles triumph occurred last year in Washington, where she defeated Peyton Stearns. Despite feeling in control of her shots, Williams expressed a need to enhance her consistency to close out points successfully. This tournament marks Williams’s 11th appearance in the competition.
Following her singles defeat, Williams will partner with her sister, Serena, in the doubles event after receiving a wild-card entry. The Williams sisters, who last played doubles together at the 2022 U.S. Open, were initially scheduled to compete at Wimbledon, but Serena’s injury prevented their participation. Their first-round match at the Cincinnati Open will be against Marta Kostyuk and Peyton Stearns, with the doubles tournament commencing on Sunday.
Looking ahead, Venus Williams expressed excitement for the doubles event and her upcoming mixed doubles appearance at the U.S. Open alongside Alexander Bublik later this month.