Venus Williams Addresses Retirement After US Open Loss Ahead of Doubles Match with Serena

Despite losing in straight sets in the first round of the US Open on Sunday night, tennis legend Venus Williams isn't ready to discuss the end of her storied career.

As she prepares for her doubles match with her sister, Serena, later this week, Williams told reporters that she's not thinking about her future in tennis at the moment.

"I don't think I should have to," Williams said after her 6-2, 7-6 (6) loss to Sofia Kenin, per ESPN. "My mind is fully focused on that: how I recover from this completely insane evening and get ready for the next one."

Williams' match against her 27-year-old opponent was heavily delayed following Novak Djokovic's four-hour, 36-minute upset loss to Mariano Navone. When she and Kenin finally took the court at Arthur Ashe Stadium at 12:13 a.m., it marked the latest start to a match at the US Open.

"It's not ideal," Williams said. "I would have preferred something else, definitely. It wasn't great for either of us, so I think we both tried our best."

A seven-time Grand Slam champion, Williams has now lost 14 consecutive singles matches dating back to her last victory in July 2025. The 46-year-old hasn't won at the US Open since her first-round victory in 2019, extending her streak to six straight losses at the major tournament that she previously won twice in 2000 and 2001.

Still, the future Hall of Famer showed some fight after a quick loss in the first set, as she battled back from a 4-2 deficit to force a tiebreaker before ultimately losing. Their match concluded at 2:01 a.m., the latest finish for a first-round match in US Open history and the third-latest ending for a women's match at any stage of the tournament.

"I had a lot of great moments," Williams said. "As the match progressed, I just kept pushing myself to try to find my best tennis and to find my rhythm. It's not easy to do in the first round. It's not easy to do at 1 or 2 a.m. in the morning to try to find your rhythm and play your best, but I tried my best."