Venus Williams exits US Open after straight-set defeat to Sofia Kenin
New York, August 31
Four-time Olympic champion Venus Williams was knocked out of the women's singles tournament at the US Open 2026 after suffering a straight-set defeat against fellow American Sofia Kenin in the first round.
The four-time Olympic champion Williams went down 2-6, 6-7(6) against Kenin in a late-night clash at Arthur Ashe Stadium, according to Olympics.com.
Kenin dominated the opening set, wrapping it up 6-2 in just 32 minutes. Williams showed resilience in the second set, recovering from a 2-4 deficit to force a tie-break, but Kenin held her nerve to seal the victory after Williams missed several set points.
The match concluded after the marathon encounter between Novak Djokovic and Mariano Navone that lasted four hours and 36 minutes.
The defeat marked Williams' 14th consecutive singles loss. Her last singles victory came in July 2025.
A two-time US Open champion, Williams was making her 26th appearance in the tournament's main draw and her 96th Grand Slam appearance.
Although her singles campaign has ended, Williams will continue her US Open journey in the women's doubles event, where she will partner with her sister Serena Williams. The duo received wildcards for the tournament.
For Williams, the loss dropped her record to 0-12 for the season and marked her fifth consecutive opening-round loss at the US Open, according to the WTA website.
Kenin finished the match with 28 winners and 21 unforced errors, while Williams hit 13 winners and committed 24 unforced errors. It was only Kenin's sixth main-draw win at the WTA level in 2026.
She will be looking to win back-to-back matches at a tournament for the first time this season when she faces another American, No. 3 seed Jessica Pegula, who defeated Elena-Gabriela Ruse 6-3, 6-2.
Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic suffered a shocking first-round exit in the ongoing Grand Slam tournament.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion was defeated 7-6(5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 by Argentina's Mariano Navone in a marathon clash at Arthur Ashe Stadium. The first-round loss also ended Djokovic's long-standing record of advancing past the opening round of a major since the 2006 Australian Open, according to the ATP Website.
— ANI
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