Venus Williams bowed out of the US Open in the first round early Monday morning after a match that began at 12.13am, the latest start in tournament history, and ended at 1 minute past 2am. The 46-year-old American, ranked 611th in the world, was defeated by fellow American Sofia Kenin 6-2, 7-6 (6) in 1 hour 48 minutes, extending her losing streak at tour level to 15 matches.
The first-round clash under the closed roof of Arthur Ashe Stadium was delayed by Novak Djokovic's five-set loss to Argentina's Mariano Navone, which pushed Williams's entrance deep into the night. Despite the late hour, several thousand spectators remained to watch Williams, who has been part of the tournament since the stadium was completed in 1997.
Williams's record-breaking appearance and early struggles
Williams was making her record-extending 26th US Open singles appearance. She described the experience as "completely insane" after the match. The contest itself was more straightforward: Williams was broken in her opening service game after three minutes and fell behind 0-3 quickly. She briefly steadied herself by breaking Kenin and holding for 2-3, but Kenin won the next three games to take the opening set in 32 minutes.
Kenin, the 2020 Australian Open champion who also reached the Roland Garros final that year, had won just five of 21 tour-level matches this season. She faced a tougher second set, as Williams fought back with the crowd's support.
Kenin's resilience in the second set
Kenin appeared ready to advance after seizing an early break in the second set, but a series of unforced errors opened the door for Williams. Serving at 4-5, love-40, Kenin erased three set points to hold. Williams then saved four break points in the next game to force a tie-break, where she surged to a 6-2 lead and held four more set points. However, Kenin reeled off six straight points to take the set and the match at 2am, advancing to face No 3 seed Jessica Pegula in the second round.
Statistics showed Williams's vulnerability on second serve, with Kenin winning 61% of points behind it. Kenin finished with 28 winners to Williams's 13 and was steadier on the biggest points.
Wildcard debate and Williams's future
Williams's wildcard invitation raised questions about whether the spot could have gone to a younger player. A first-round loser at the US Open earns $140,000, a significant sum for players on the lower tour levels. Craig Tiley, the incoming tournament director, defended the decision on Saturday: "In our view, Venus deserved a wildcard. 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 has been world No 1 in singles and doubles, won four Olympic gold medals, and 14 grand slam doubles titles in addition to seven in singles. She made her debut here as a 17-year-old in 1997, reaching the final as the first unseeded player in the Open era before losing to Martina Hingis.
Late start criticized by Williams
Williams, scheduled to play doubles with her sister Serena starting Thursday, said her focus is on recovery. "I don't think I should have to" answer questions about her future, she said. "My mind is fully focused on that: how I recover from this completely insane evening and get ready for the next one."
She criticized the late start: "It's not ideal. I would have preferred something else definitely. It wasn't great for either of us, so I think we both tried our best. I just don't know any other sport where you have to start that late. I definitely think there's room for improvement there."
The crowd that stayed past 2am to watch Williams offered its own verdict on her enduring appeal, even as the hour raised questions about scheduling in the sport.
