Venus Williams extended her singles losing streak to 13 matches as she was defeated 6-2, 6-2 by Emiliana Arango in the first round of the Cincinnati Open. The seven-time major champion, aged 46, entered the WTA 1000 event as a wild-card recipient but 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.
Arango swiftly gained an advantage by breaking Williams’ serve in the opening game, leading to a challenging match for the veteran player. Williams struggled to convert her break opportunity and had a 41% first-serve points success rate. Arango capitalized on her chances, converting 4 out of 5 break points and winning 71% of her first-serve points.
Reflecting on her early lead, Arango mentioned, “That kind of eased my nerves a little bit of having maybe a little bit of breathing room. And then I think I just did a good job of staying on it, trying to make her play as much as possible.” In the upcoming round, Arango is set to face the No. 7 seed and defending Cincinnati champion Iga Swiatek.
Williams last tasted victory in singles competition last year in Washington against Peyton Stearns. Despite feeling in control of the points, Williams expressed her disappointment in not finishing them as desired and emphasized the need for greater consistency in her game. This marked Williams’ 11th appearance in the Cincinnati tournament.
Following her singles match, Williams will team up with her sister, Serena, for the doubles event in Cincinnati as they received a wild-card entry. The duo last played doubles together at the 2022 U.S. Open and were set to compete at Wimbledon before Serena’s injury. They are scheduled to face Marta Kostyuk and Peyton Stearns in the opening round of the doubles tournament, commencing on Sunday.
Looking ahead, Venus Williams expressed her excitement for the doubles competition and her participation in mixed doubles at the upcoming U.S. Open alongside Alexander Bublik.
