Venus Williams extended her singles losing streak to 13 matches after being 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, claimed victory over Williams in one hour and five minutes at the Lindner Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio.
Arango broke Williams’ serve in the opening game, setting the tone for the match. With a 4 out of 5 conversion rate on break points and a 71% first-serve points won, Arango dominated the match. In contrast, Williams struggled, failing to convert on her only break opportunity and achieving only a 41% first-serve points success rate.
Reflecting on her win, Arango mentioned that taking an early lead helped ease her nerves and allowed her to maintain pressure on Williams throughout the match. In the next round, Arango is set to face the defending Cincinnati champion, No. 7 seed Iga Swiatek.
Venus Williams’ most recent singles victory was in Washington last year against Peyton Stearns. Despite feeling in control of the points, Williams expressed the need for improved consistency in finishing off matches. This marks Williams’ 11th appearance in the Cincinnati tournament.
Following her singles match, Venus Williams will team up with her sister, Serena Williams, for the doubles event in Cincinnati. The sisters, who last played together at the 2022 U.S. Open, were initially slated to compete at Wimbledon before Serena’s injury. Their first-round opponents will be Marta Kostyuk and Peyton Stearns, with the doubles competition commencing on Sunday.
Looking ahead, Venus Williams is also scheduled to participate in mixed doubles at the upcoming U.S. Open alongside Alexander Bublik.