Venus Williams bowed out of the US Open in the first round early Monday after losing in straight sets to fellow American Sofia Kenin.
The 46-year-old tennis icon, who received a wild card into the singles tournament nearly 29 years after reaching the US Open final as a teenager in 1997, lost 6-2, 7-6 (8/6) at Flushing Meadows.
Despite the defeat, Williams produced a determined performance on Arthur Ashe Stadium, leaving the court with her head held high after a match that ended shortly after 2:00 am local time.
Kenin appeared to be heading for a comfortable victory after dominating the opening set and taking a 4-2 lead in the second.
The 27-year-old had a break point that would have given her a commanding 5-2 advantage, but Williams launched a spirited fightback to force a tie-break, drawing loud cheers from the late-night crowd.
Williams then raised hopes of an improbable comeback when she surged into a 6-2 lead in the tie-break.
However, Kenin regrouped and won six consecutive points to overturn the deficit and seal the victory.
The match began shortly after midnight following Novak Djokovic’s marathon five-set loss earlier in the night session.
Williams acknowledged the fans as she left the court and has given no indication of when she plans to retire from singles tennis.
Her last Grand Slam singles victory came at Wimbledon in 2021, where she reached the second round. Since then, Williams has made six Grand Slam singles appearances and has exited in the first round on each occasion.
Her US Open campaign is not over, however. Williams will return to the tournament later to compete in the women’s doubles alongside her sister Serena.
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