Venus Williams suffered her 13th consecutive singles loss after falling 6-2, 6-2 to Colombian qualifier Emiliana Arango in the first round of the Cincinnati Open on Friday. The 46-year-old American, who entered the draw on a wildcard, has not won a singles match since July 2025.
Arango dominates from the opening game
The world No. 95 needed just one hour and five minutes to dispatch the former world No. 1. Arango converted four of her five break points and won 71% of her first-serve points. Williams was broken in the opening game and never found a way back against the 25-year-old Colombian's consistency. The identical scoreline in both sets underlined Arango's complete control of the match. She will face 14th seed Donna Vekic in the second round.
At 46, the seven-time Grand Slam champion continues to show up on tour with unwavering determination, but results no longer follow. Her last singles victory dates back to Wimbledon 2025, and the losing run has spanned every surface.
Williams sisters reunite in doubles Sunday
Williams is not leaving Cincinnati despite her early singles exit. The Williams sisters have received a wildcard into the doubles draw at the Cincinnati Open and will play together for the first time since the US Open in 2022. Their opening match is scheduled for Sunday against the pairing of Marta Kostyuk and Peyton Stearns.
The reunion was supposed to happen sooner. The sisters had planned a joint return at Wimbledon this summer, but Serena, 44, was forced to withdraw from the doubles event after sustaining a right knee injury during her first-round singles match. Cincinnati finally provides the stage for a reunion four years in the making.
14 Grand Slam doubles titles together
Together, Venus and Serena Williams have won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles and three Olympic gold medals. Their combined record stands as one of the most remarkable in sporting history. At 46 and 44 respectively, neither sister has anything left to prove in terms of results. Their presence side by side on a Cincinnati court on Sunday promises a rare emotional moment, two weeks before the US Open where their extraordinary journey began more than twenty-five years ago. (Sources: WTA, Washington Post, Olympics.com)
