Ohio, August 15: Seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams continues to struggle in singles matches. On Friday, she lost in the first round of the Cincinnati Open to Colombian qualifier Emiliana Arango, with a score of 6-2, 6-2.
The 46-year-old American received a wildcard entry for the WTA 1000 event but has yet to break her losing streak in singles, which has persisted since July 2025.
Arango, 25, defeated Williams in just one hour and five minutes on the Grandstand Court at the Lindner Tennis Center.
Williams faced a challenging start as she lost her serve in the first game and struggled to regain momentum against a player who maintained consistent pressure.
Arango converted four of her five break-point opportunities and won 71% of her points on her first serve, while Williams failed to capitalize on her single break-point chance, winning only 41% of her points on her first serve.
According to Arango, gaining an early lead helped calm her nerves and allowed her to control the match.
“My nerves decreased a bit, maybe I had a little breathing space. I think I did a good job of staying focused and trying to force her to play as much as possible,” Arango stated.
In the second round, Arango will face defending champion and top seed Iga Swiatek.
For Williams, this defeat reflects her ongoing struggles in singles, with her last victory occurring at the Washington tournament last year against Peyton Stearns.
Competing in the tournament for the 11th time, Williams expressed that she felt in control throughout the match but unfortunately could not execute as she had hoped. “The good thing is that I am controlling my shots. I just need to bring a bit more consistency in that final part,” she said.
Williams will remain in Cincinnati for another opportunity to compete alongside her sister, Serena Williams, as both have received a wildcard for the doubles event.
The sisters last played together in doubles at the 2022 US Open. They were set to reunite for doubles at Wimbledon this year, but Serena had to withdraw due to injury.
Their campaign in Cincinnati will begin with matches against Marta Kostyuk and Peyton Stearns, with the doubles event starting on Sunday.
Regarding playing with Serena, Venus said, “I am excited and hope that we both come in fresh, ready, and fully prepared. I will prepare for it.”
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