Venus Williams lost her 15th singles match in a row as she was beaten by fellow American Sofia Kenin in a 2am finish at the US Open.
The 46-year-old very nearly took the first-round match into a deciding set, but 2020 Australian Open champion Kenin saved seven set points to win 6-2 7-6 (8-6).
The match did not begin until 00:13 local time in New York as it followed Mariano Navone’s five-set victory over Novak Djokovic on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
It was the latest starting match in US Open history, and there was barely 1,000 spectators left by the end.
“It’s not ideal,” Williams – who was given a wildcard to play her home Grand Slam tournament – said about the midnight start.
“I would have preferred something else definitely. I think it wasn’t great for either of us, so I think we both tried our best.
“I just don’t know any other sport where you have to start that late. I definitely think there’s room for improvement there.
“I just kept pushing myself to try to find my best tennis and to find my rhythm. It’s not easy to do in the first round. It’s not easy to do it at 1am or 2am in the morning.”
Seven-time major singles champion Williams proved highly competitive in the second set, but lost the last six points of the match having led the tiebreak 6-2.
The former world number one is ranked 618th in the world and the wildcard she received into the tournament was her 12th of the season so far – leading to some questioning whether she deserves one.
But there is no limit to the number of wildcards a Grand Slam champion can receive and, for many tournaments, having a Williams sister on site still makes commercial sense.
“I think it’s good for tennis to have these generational icons,” said Karl Hale, the tournament director who offered Williams a wildcard for this month’s WTA 1000 event in Toronto.
“That they are still allocating wildcards for them says something to their intrinsic value to the tournaments.”
Former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash does not think Williams should be taking wildcards away from younger players, but understands the enduring pull of the iconic American.
“That makes complete sense. You need a draw card, a legend to come out and play in these smaller tournaments,” Cash said during BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra’s US Open coverage.
“The Grand Slams sit on their own. It’s up to Venus whether she thinks she’s good enough to play and play well enough.
“I personally don’t think she should be taking a wildcard away from a young player after she’s had a great career.”
Two-time US Open singles champion Williams has not qualified for a Grand Slam by ranking since Wimbledon 2021, which is also where she recorded her most recent singles win at a major.
Williams was a doubles quarter-finalist at last year’s US Open, but the first round defeat by Kenin was her 19th loss in 20 singles matches. The only bright spot has been a win over Peyton Stearns in Washington in July 2025.
And yet this year alone tournament directors in New Zealand, Australia, Spain, Germany and Canada – as well as the United States – have wanted Williams at their events.
Eight of the 128 spots in a Grand Slam singles draw are assigned to wildcards, and usually between four and eight at WTA and ATP events depending on the size of the field.
“The way we looked at Venus is that her legacy is phenomenal,” Hale told BBC Sport.
“She’s done so much for the sport and is really popular here in Toronto and our markets specifically – so we thought it was really good to announce it early that we have a Williams sister coming.
“Venus played opening day. She kicked off our tournament, so it added a lot of value.”
One sporting event which has reduced the opportunity for past champions to return is golf’s Open Championship.
Twenty years ago, any champions under 65 could play whenever they wished. Now, winners only get the chance to return until they are 55, which could open up the odd place in the field to younger, more highly ranked professionals.
Golfers can be competitive for much longer, but there are no limits in tennis. Martina Navratilova was given a wildcard for both the 2004 French Open and Wimbledon – and won a round on the grass – when she made a comeback aged 47.
Williams now turns her attention to the women’s doubles, where she will play alongside her sister Serena.
And she was non-committal when asked whether she has thought about her future in the sport.
“I don’t think I should have to,” she said.
“I mean, my mind is fully focused on that (the doubles). So I’m going to recover from this completely insane evening and get ready for the next one.”
