Venus Williams bowed out of the women’s singles draw at the 2026 US Open as the clock struck 2 a.m. The American legend was scheduled to play the final match of the day on Arthur Ashe Stadium against fellow American and Grand Slam champion Sofia Kenin.
Their match suffered a significant delay as Novak Djokovic battled Mariano Navone in the first evening-session match on the court. Following her defeat, Williams expressed her concerns about the “unideal” match timing and looked ahead to her doubles stint with her sister, Serena Williams.
Venus Williams Reflects on Her US Open Singles Loss to Sofia Kenin
The singles draw at the final Grand Slam of the year got underway on Sunday, August 30, with four matches scheduled on the tournament’s main court, Arthur Ashe Stadium. American No. 1 Jessica Pegula opened the proceedings with a win over Elena-Gabriela Ruse in the day session. She was followed by 2021 champion Daniil Medvedev, who defeated Hugo Gaston in straight sets.
The evening session began at 7 p.m. local time, with 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic taking on Argentina’s Mariano Navone in a five-set thriller. The match lasted four hours and 36 minutes, with Djokovic eventually suffering defeat just around midnight, further delaying the final match of the day.
As the men’s match stretched late into the night, US Open organizers initially decided to move Williams and Kenin to the tournament’s second main court, Louis Armstrong Stadium. However, that plan was scrapped, and the Americans eventually took the court at Arthur Ashe Stadium as originally scheduled. Kenin went on to claim a straight-sets victory, with the match ending at 2 a.m. after one hour and 48 minutes of play.
Speaking to the media after her defeat, Venus Williams expressed her dissatisfaction with the scheduling and hoped the organizers would make improvements going forward.
“It was extremely late. I’ve never played a match that late before. It’s not ideal. I would have preferred something else. I think it wasn’t great for either of us. I definitely think there’s room for improvement there.”
The 46-year-old squandered seven set points in the second set before ultimately falling to Kenin 6-2, 7-6(6). “I think she played well,” Williams said. “Maybe I had a loose point here or there, but I don’t think I just gave it away. I think it was just a little bit unlucky, and I think it’s some of the best tennis she’s played lately, for sure.”
“I had a lot of great moments. As the match progressed, 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 at 1 or 2 a.m. in the morning to try to find your rhythm and play your best, but I tried my best,” the seven-time Grand Slam singles champion added.
With the loss, Venus Williams extended her singles losing streak to 15 matches, dating back to the 2025 Mubadala DC Open. She will now hope for better fortunes in the women’s doubles draw, where she and Serena have received a wildcard entry. The American legend noted that she is focusing on their partnership and is not currently thinking about her future in tennis.
“I don’t think I should have to (think about the future). My mind is fully focused on that (women’s doubles). So I’m going to recover from this completely insane evening and get ready for the next one.”
The Williams sisters competed at the Cincinnati Open just a few days ago, where they suffered a first-round defeat to Peyton Stearns and Marta Kostyuk. At the US Open, their last appearance together came in the 2022 edition, when Serena drew the curtain on her illustrious career before making a comeback this June.
