Venus Williams continues to struggle in singles matches, extending her losing streak to 13 games. The seven-time major champion suffered a 6-2, 6-2 defeat at the hands of Emiliana Arango in the opening round of the Cincinnati Open. Williams, aged 46, entered the WTA 1000 event with a wild-card spot and has not clinched 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 took control by breaking Williams’ serve in the first game, setting the tone for the match. She capitalized on 4 out of 5 break points and won 71% of her first-serve points, while Williams struggled to convert her sole break opportunity and managed only a 41% success rate on first-serve points. Reflecting on her win, Arango expressed satisfaction with getting an early lead that helped calm her nerves, emphasizing the importance of keeping Williams constantly engaged in the game.
In the subsequent round, Arango is set to face the No. 7 seed and defending Cincinnati champion, Iga Swiatek. Williams’ most recent singles triumph dates back to Washington last year when she defeated Peyton Stearns. Despite feeling in command of the points during the match, Williams acknowledged the need to enhance her consistency in finishing off plays.
Following her singles match, Williams will team up with her sister, Serena, for the doubles event in Cincinnati after receiving a wild-card entry. The sisters, who last played doubles together at the 2022 U.S. Open, were initially slated to compete at Wimbledon before Serena sustained an injury. Their first-round opponents will be Marta Kostyuk and Peyton Stearns, with the doubles segment of the tournament commencing on Sunday. Venus Williams expressed excitement about the upcoming doubles match and her participation in mixed doubles at the upcoming U.S. Open alongside Alexander Bublik.