Venus Williams has criticized the US Open’s scheduling after a delay caused by Novak Djokovic’s marathon match pushed her first-round outing against Sofia Kenin past midnight. She fell 2-6, 6-7(6) in a match that didn’t wrap up until 2:01 a.m., the latest finish to a first-round match in tournament history.
The delay stemmed from Djokovic’s 6-7(5), 7-5, 6-4, 2-6, 1-6 loss to Mariano Navone earlier in the same night session, which ran four hours and 36 minutes and ended with the 24-time Grand Slam champion suffering his earliest exit at a Major in 20 years. Tournament officials had reportedly planned to move Williams’ match to Louis Armstrong Stadium once the delay became clear, but both players chose to wait it out and stay on Arthur Ashe instead.
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By the time Venus Williams finally walked out, well past midnight in front of a thinned-out crowd, the toll of the wait was clearly on her mind. Asked afterward whether the late start had affected the night, she didn’t dance around it.
“It was extremely late,” she told the press. “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 seven-time Grand Slam champion was more even-keeled when asked about the tennis itself, crediting Kenin rather than dwelling on the circumstances:
“I think she played well. 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.”
For Venus Williams, the defeat continues a difficult run at the tournament she’s won twice, with no US Open win since 2019. It also marks the 46-year-old’s 15th consecutive singles loss, a streak stretching back to last year.
Venus Williams’ US Open dream not over yet as doubles with sister Serena Williams awaits
Venus Williams’ singles run may have ended in the first round, but her US Open journey isn’t finished yet. She and sister Serena received a wild card into the women’s doubles draw, reuniting one of the sport’s most decorated partnerships at their home Grand Slam for the first time since 2022.
The Williams sisters have won the US Open doubles title twice, in 1999 and 2009, and own a combined 14 major doubles titles together. They played their first match as a team in nearly four years at the Cincinnati Open earlier this month, falling in the first round to Marta Kostyuk and Peyton Stearns, giving them one competitive outing together before returning to a Grand Slam stage.
The doubles draw is set to be released on September 1. Serena, who’s playing only doubles at Flushing Meadows after her mixed doubles run with Carlos Alcaraz ended in the quarterfinals, will be looking to help her sister build on that one match together in Cincinnati and turn it into a deeper run this time.
Venus Williams and Father Richard recall one match that 7-time Grand Slam champion “should have won”
Edited by Pritha Ghosh
