Venus Williams faced another setback in singles competition, extending her losing streak 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. Williams, 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 Colombian qualifier ranked 95th, triumphed over Williams in one hour and five minutes on the grandstand court at Lindner Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio. The match saw Williams struggle after losing her serve in the initial game, with Arango capitalizing on 4 out of 5 break points and winning 71% of her first-serve points. Williams, on the other hand, failed to convert her sole break opportunity and only managed a 41% success rate on first-serve points.
Reflecting on her victory, Arango expressed satisfaction with her early lead, which helped calm her nerves and maintain pressure on Williams throughout the match. In the next round, Arango is set to face the tournament’s 7th seed and defending champion, Iga Swiatek. Williams last tasted singles success in Washington last year against Peyton Stearns and shared her perspective on the need for improved consistency in finishing points. Despite her singles defeat, Williams will continue in the Cincinnati tournament by partnering with her sister, Serena, in the doubles event. The sisters, who last played doubles together at the 2022 U.S. Open, were initially scheduled to compete at Wimbledon but had to withdraw due to Serena’s injury. Their first-round opponents in Cincinnati will be Marta Kostyuk and Peyton Stearns, with the doubles competition commencing on Sunday. Looking ahead, Venus Williams expressed eagerness for the upcoming doubles challenge alongside her sister and revealed plans to participate in mixed doubles at the upcoming U.S. Open with Alexander Bublik.