Sofia Kenin Saves Seven Set Points to Beat Venus Williams at US Open

Sofia Kenin defeated Venus Williams 6-2, 7-6 (8-6) in the first round of the US Open, extending Williams’ run without a singles victory to 15 matches. BBC Sport reported that the all-American contest ended at 2am in New York after coming close to a deciding set.

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Kenin, the 2020 Australian Open champion, controlled the opening set before Williams raised her level in the second. Williams created seven set points but could not convert any of them. She led the tiebreak 6-2, only for Kenin to take six consecutive points and complete the straight-sets victory.

The match began at 00:13 local time because it followed Mariano Navone’s five-set win over Novak Djokovic on Arthur Ashe Stadium. According to the BBC, that made it the latest starting match in US Open history. The report estimated that fewer than 1,000 spectators remained by the finish.

Williams said the midnight start was not ideal for either player and suggested the scheduling could be improved. She also acknowledged the difficulty of finding her rhythm in an opening-round match at such a late hour, while stressing that she continued trying to produce her best tennis.

The 46-year-old former world number one entered the tournament on a wildcard and is currently ranked 618th. This was her 12th wildcard of the season. BBC Sport noted that there is no limit on the number of wildcards a Grand Slam champion may receive, while eight of the 128 places in a major singles draw are allocated that way.

Williams, a seven-time major singles champion and twice a US Open singles winner, has now lost 19 of her past 20 singles matches. Her only victory in that stretch came against Peyton Stearns in Washington in July 2025. She has not entered a Grand Slam through her ranking since Wimbledon in 2021, the site of her most recent singles win at a major.

Her US Open campaign is not over. Williams will next play women’s doubles alongside her sister Serena. Asked about her longer-term future, she did not commit to a decision and said her immediate attention was on recovering from the late finish and preparing for the doubles competition.