Venus Williams, 45, Falls Short In Bid For First Win Streak Since 2019

Venus Williams’ bid for her first winning streak since 2019 ended pinch a 6-2, 6-2 nonaccomplishment to 24th-ranked Magdalena Frech astatine nan DC Open connected Thursday night.

Williams is 45, and her victory successful nan first information Tuesday night against 35th-ranked Peyton Stearns made nan seven-time expansive slam singles champion nan oldest female to triumph a tour-level singles lucifer since Martina Navratilova was 47 successful 2004.

That was Williams’ first triumph successful singles since 2023, and she joked afterward that she was motivated to win because she wanted to beryllium capable to get backmost connected nan WTA’s wellness security scheme aft being disconnected nan circuit for much than a year.

She won a doubles lucifer successful Washington, too. This hard-court tourney was nan first arena for Williams since March 2024; she missed clip because of room for uterine fibroids.

The past clip Williams won astatine slightest 2 matches successful a statement was successful August 2019, astatine nan Cincinnati Open, wherever she put together 3 consecutive victories earlier losing to Madison Keys successful nan quarter-finals.

Williams began good against Frech, going up 2-1. But from there, Frech claimed 7 consecutive games to ain nan first group and lead 2-0 successful nan second.

Frech is simply a 27-year-old from Poland whose champion expansive slam showing was a tally to nan 4th information astatine nan 2024 Australian Open earlier losing to Coco Gauff.

The show nether nan lights connected this evening was each astir Williams, whose greeting was overmuch louder erstwhile she walked retired connected tribunal toting a greenish workout band. Every clip Williams unfurled 1 of her booming groundstrokes – and make nary mistake, she still tin deed nan shot difficult – nan crowd successful nan main stadium fto retired a roar.

The problem for Williams: She often was incapable to decently calibrate those shots, including erstwhile she sailed a forehand measurement retired aft rushing guardant to get to a short shot disconnected Frech’s racket. That gave Frech a 3-2 lead.

Williams would driblet her caput aliases slump her shoulders aft immoderate misses, and she had 14 unforced errors successful nan opening set, much than doubly arsenic galore arsenic Frech. Fans often responded pinch an “Awwww” correct away, earlier trying to springiness Williams a boost by yelling support.

After Williams fell down 1-0 successful nan 2nd set, a chorus roseate of “Here we go, Venus! Here we go!”

She generated large applause aft getting a crippled a fewer minutes later, and location were clap-accompanied chants of “Venus!” erstwhile she collapsed to get wrong 4-2 successful that set. But Williams didn’t get different game.

When it ended aft 1hr 12min pinch 1 past Williams forehand that landed long, spectators gave her a opinionated ovation, and she responded pinch a grin and nan benignant of pirouette and activity she usually reserves for celebrating wins.

“We’re ne'er going to opportunity goodbye to Venus Williams, are we?” nan stadium announcer said.

In different action Thursday, top-seeded Jessica Pegula mislaid to 2021 US Open runner-up Leylah Fernandez 6-3, 1-6, 7-5, and Emma Raducanu dominated her first profession matchup against Naomi Osaka, winning nan showdown betwixt past US Open champions 6-4, 6-2.

“I did consciousness it had a spot of extra,” Raducanu said. “It’s a lucifer that I consciousness a batch of group were talking astir beforehand.”

Raducanu, nan first qualifier to declare a expansive slam title erstwhile she did that successful New York successful 2021 by defeating Fernandez successful nan final, saved nan only 2 break points she faced Thursday and collapsed nan big-serving Osaka 3 times.

Seeded men advancing included No 4 Ben Shelton, No 6 Frances Tiafoe, No 7 Alex de Minaur, No 8 Daniil Medvedev, No 12 Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and No 14 Brandon Nakashima.