Williams beaten by Kenin after match ends past 2am following latest US Open start
Venus Williams was defeated 6-2, 7-6 (6) by Sofia Kenin in the first round of the US Open at Arthur Ashe Stadium after a match that began at 12.13am and finished one minute past 2am.
The start was delayed when Novak Djokovic’s five-set loss to Mariano Navone ran long, pushing Williams’ appearance deep into the night beneath the closed roof. The first ball was struck at 12.13am — the latest start in US Open history — yet several thousand spectators stayed to watch. At 46 years old, ranked 611th in the world and making a record-extending 26th US Open singles appearance, Williams called the night “completely insane.”
The match lasted 1hr 48min and ended Williams’ bid for a main-draw win at a major since Wimbledon 2021, extending her tour-level losing streak to 15 matches. Kenin closed out the victory in a late-night tiebreak to progress to the next round.
“Venus obviously was playing some amazing tennis,” said Kenin, the 2020 Australian Open champion who also reached the Roland Garros final later that year. Kenin had won just five of 21 tour-level matches this year but will now face the No 3 seed Jessica Pegula in the second round.
Williams was broken in her opening service game after three minutes and again at the next service game to fall 0-3, then briefly recovered by breaking Kenin and holding for 2-3. Kenin ran off the following three games to take the first set in 32 minutes, and the second set swung through a series of breaks and saved set points before reaching a tiebreak.
In the tiebreak Williams surged to a 6-2 lead and held four set-point chances, but Kenin won six consecutive points to capture the set and match one minute past 2am. Kenin had erased three set points when serving at 4-5, love-40, and Williams had fought off four break points to force the tiebreak.
Kenin dominated points on Williams’ second serve, winning 61% of those points, and finished with 28 winners to Williams’ 13 while dictating many of the longer baseline rallies. The statistical edge on big points helped Kenin close out the late finish.
The allocation of a main-draw wildcard to Williams prompted debate, given a first-round loser at the US Open earns $140,000. Craig Tiley, the tournament’s incoming director, defended the choice: “In our view, Venus deserved a wildcard,” he said. “Her contribution to the game and what she brings to the event, you know, I didn’t think one second about it, to tell you the honest truth. I think she’s a magnificent champion, an American tennis icon, and we see the feedback the fans give us, and they want to see Venus play.” Williams declined to address future questions about her career in detail, saying “I don’t think I should have to,” and adding, “My mind is fully focused on that: how I recover from this completely insane evening and get ready for the next one.”
Kenin moves on to face Jessica Pegula in the second round, while Williams is scheduled to play alongside her sister Serena in the women’s doubles beginning Thursday.