Venus Williams Loses To Sofia Kenin After Latest Start Time In US Open History

by Robert BluteAugust 31, 2026, 6:37 pm >

Venus Williams, 46, is out of the US Open after losing in straight sets to Sofia Kenin. The match started at 12:13 a.m. local time, the latest start time in the tournament’s history.

She lost 6-2, 7-6 (6) and had a handful of set points in the second set that she could not capitalize on. It was not an uncompetitive loss like some of her other losses over the past year, but it wasn’t pretty either.

The delay stemmed from the five-set bout between Mariano Navone and Novak Djokovic, in which Navone pulled off the upset. The start was six minutes later than the previous start-time record, set in 2024.

Williams, who received a wild card into the event, has received wild cards throughout the year at many tournaments. She has now lost 15 consecutive matches in singles and hasn’t picked up a victory in over a year. Her last win came in July 2025, and many people are questioning whether she should keep playing and whether these tournaments should keep giving her wild cards.

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The road for Venus Williams at the US Open is not over yet. She will play doubles with her sister, Serena Williams. The sister duo has won the US Open doubles title twice, including as teenagers in 1999. Serena recently returned from retirement after being away from the sport. Serena just played mixed doubles with Carlos Alcaraz, and they picked up a win in that tournament before losing in the second round. The Williams sisters played doubles in Cincinnati and lost in the first round.

As her career winds down, Venus’s timetable is unknown, but she hasn’t won a US Open match since 2019 and would need a wild card to get another opportunity. The US Open would probably give her one for her farewell tour if she chooses, but there is no guarantee.