Venus Williams, the 7th consecutive defeat in singles! The American was eliminated in the first round in Austin
Article by David Istrate – Published Wednesday, February 25, 2026, 10:02 AM / Updated Wednesday, February 25, 2026 10:03 AM
Venus Williams (45 years, 560 WTA) was defeated in the inaugural round in Austin by Ajla Tomljanovic (32 years, 74 WTA), score 4-6, 1-6. It is the 4th defeat this year for the seven-time Grand Slam winner, who has also lost in Auckland, Hobart and the Australian Open.
In the second part of 2025, at the age of 45, Venus Williams decided to return to the court and participated in the tournament in Washington. The former world leader won 6-3, 6-4 against Peyton Stearns (24, 62 WTA), her doubles partner, after which a series of negative results followed.
Eliminated from Austin, Venus Williams prepares for Indian Wells: 'I can't wait'
Williams failed to win a singles match again, losing 3 more matches in 2025 and 4 in 2026. In Austin, the tennis player from Lynwood, California, was defeated 6-4, 6-1 by Ajla Tomljanovic, who will face Iva Jovic (18 years old, 18 WTA) in the round of 16.
In 2026, Williams also lost two doubles matches in Auckland and the Australian Open, going on to play alongside Stearns in Austin. In the first round, the two American women will meet Storm Hunter (Australia, 31 years old) and Taylor Townsend (USA, 29 years old).
After the tournament in Texas, Venus Williams is waiting Indian Wells, where he received a wild card into the main draw of the March 1-15 tournament. So, the four-time Olympic champion will return to the competition whose singles semifinal she played 3 times, in 1998, 2001 and 2018.
“I'm excited to be back at Indian Wells and can't wait to get back home and play in California. This tournament is always a special experience and nothing compares to competing in front of these incredible fans,” Williams said, according to the WTA's official website.
Interestingly, lately there have been more and more rumors about a possible return to the WTA circuit of Serena Williams (44 years old), sister of Venus. Although the American initially denied returning to the tennis court, she later qualified her response and avoided making it clear that she would not return to the circuit.
Serena appeared on the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) reinstatement list and as of Sunday, February 22, she can sign up for tournaments.
