Venus loses late in 26th USO appearance

Venus Williams made the latest match start in US Open history, with the 46-year-old not even taking to the court until shortly after midnight and losing 6-2, 7-6 (6) to Sofia Kenin,

Williams has lost her last 15 matches as a wild card, with her last victory dating to June, 2025 and her status as a serial  wild card recipient under serious discussion.

She has now lost six consecutive matches at the Open, with her last victory coming seven years ago. She is still queued up to pay doubles – another wild card – with sister Serena.

Despite a distinct lack of success, Williams seems not to be considering retirement.

“I don’t think I should have to,” she said in the wee hours of Monday.

“My mind is fully focused on that: how I recover from this completely insane evening and get ready for the next one.”

The Williams start on the Ashe showcourt was seriously delayed by Novak Djokovic’s nearly five-hour loss at the same venue.

The 12:13 a.m., start of the Williams match became the latest ever at the tournament by six minutes.

Williams called the timing and  2:01 a.m. finish “not ideal.” 

“I would have preferred something else, definitely. It wasn’t great for either of us, so I think we both tried our best.”