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Venus Williams exits US Open after first-round loss to Sofia Kenin
The late-night straight-sets match marked Williams's 26th singles appearance at the tournament.
The short version
- Venus Williams lost her first-round US Open singles match to Sofia Kenin 6-2, 7-6 (6) in New York.
- The match set tournament records for both the latest start time and the latest first-round finish after a previous long men's match delayed court access.
- Williams and her sister Serena are scheduled to compete in the tournament's doubles event as wild-card entries.
Key facts
- Sofia Kenin defeated Venus Williams 6-2, 7-6 (6) in the first round of the US Open.[Associated Press]
- The match began at 12:13 a.m. and finished at 2:01 a.m., establishing US Open records for the latest start to a match and the latest finish for a first-round match.[Associated Press]
- A 4-hour, 36-minute match between Novak Djokovic and Mariano Navone caused the schedule delay at Arthur Ashe Stadium.[Associated Press]
- The loss marks Williams's 14th consecutive singles defeat dating back to July 2025.[Associated Press]
What remains uncertain
- It remains unconfirmed whether this match was the final Grand Slam or professional singles appearance of Williams's career.[Associated Press]