Venus Williams has recently suffered her 14th consecutive singles defeats after falling to Colombia’s Emilia Arango in the first round of the Cincinnati Open, putting the seven-time Grand Slam champion uncomfortably close to an unwanted place in the tennis history books.
The latest loss has further intensified the debate around Williams’ continued participation in singles as a wildcard, with some fans questioning whether the 46-year-old should consider stepping away before a remarkable career becomes dented by one of the WTA’s worst losing streaks.
Back in April, Williams became the first former world No. 1 to lose 10 consecutive matches when she was beaten in the first round of the Madrid Open. That run has now stretched to 14, leaving her just one defeat away from entering the Top 5 for the longest losing streak in women’s tennis.
The Top 5 worst WTA losing streaks in history
Kristina Mladenovic currently occupies fifth place, having lost 15 consecutive matches across 2017 and 2018. Sandy Collins and Arantxa Rus are tied for third with 17 straight defeats, while Zhang Shuai is second after losing 24 consecutive matches between 2023 and 2024.
At the top of the unwanted list is Madeleine Pegel, who lost 29 consecutive matches over a four-year period between 1968 and 1972.
Williams’ current run began after her return to the tour following a 16-month hiatus. She made a winning comeback in Washington in July 2025, defeating Peyton Stearns, but has not won a singles match since.
The players who defeated Venus during her losing streak
The 14 players who have defeated Williams during her current losing streak are listed below, alongside their rankings at the time:
- Magdalena Frech #24
- Jessica Bouzas Maneiro #42
- Karolina Muchova #13
- Magda Linette #52
- Tatjana Maria #42
- Olga Danilovic #69
- Ajla Tomljanovic #74
- Diane Parry #111
- Francesca Jones #93
- Kaitlin Quevedo #140
- Irina-Camelia Begu #211
- Anastasia Potapova #27
- Kamilla Rakhimova #83
- Emilia Arango #95
Venus: “Winning and losing knows no age.”
Williams’ struggles are hardly surprising given her age and the physical demands of professional tennis. Yet her continued access to singles wildcards inevitably raises questions about whether tournament opportunities could instead go to younger players trying to establish themselves on tour.
The American, who has not won a title on the WTA Tour since lifting the Taiwan Open in February 2016, appears to have no intention of letting the losing streak dictate when her career ends.
“I feel great. If there’s the one thing I know, it’s that you’re never too young or too old to win or to lose. Winning and losing knows no age,” Williams said. “The only way to go forward is growth. There’s always so much to learn, and there’s always still much to learn about myself, new hurdles to get over.”
There is no question that having Venus’ name in the draw remains a major attraction for tournaments. Her legacy, popularity and ability to generate interest are unmatched by most players competing for those same wildcards. And for now, one of the WTA’s all-time greats is showing no signs of walking away. She will play doubles with her sister Serena today at the Cincinnati Open, where they face Marta Kostyuk and Peyton Stearns.
