Venus Williams tumbled out of the US Open first round early Monday, the veteran US tennis icon losing in straight sets to compatriot Sofia Kenin. Williams, though, left with her head held high after a battling performance on the Arthur Ashe Stadium court that finished at just after 2am local time. The 46-year-old Williams — handed a wild card into the singles in New York some 29 years after reaching the final at Flushing Meadows as a teenager in 1997 — exited 6-2, 7-6 (8/6).
She will extend her US Open campaign when she plays in the women’s doubles alongside sister Serena later in the tournament. Her last victory in a Grand Slam singles game came at Wimbledon in 2021, where she reached the second round.
Williams and Kenin’s match got under way just after midnight local time following Novak Djokovic’s marathon five-set loss earlier in the night session. Since then Williams has made six Grand Slam singles appearances and exited in the first round on each occasion.
