WASHINGTON — Venus Williams’ quest for a winning streak, her first since 2019, came to an unexpected halt with a 6-2, 6-2 defeat against 24th-ranked Magdalena Frech at the D.C. Open on Thursday night.
At 45 years old, Williams celebrated her remarkable victory in the opening round against 35th-ranked Peyton Stearns, making her the oldest woman to triumph in a tour-level singles match since Martina Navratilova at 47 in 2004.
That win marked Williams’ first singles victory since 2023, where she humorously expressed that her drive to succeed stemmed from a desire to return to the WTA’s health insurance plan after a lengthy break from the circuit.
Moreover, she also clinched a doubles match in Washington. This hard-court tournament marked her first appearance since March 2024, following a recovery period from surgery for uterine fibroids.
The last time Williams secured consecutive match victories was in August 2019 at the Cincinnati Open, where she achieved three wins in a row before being defeated by Madison Keys in the quarterfinals.
Williams started off strong against Frech, taking a brief lead at 2-1. However, Frech quickly took control, winning seven consecutive games to capture the first set and establish a 2-0 lead in the second.
Frech, a 27-year-old from Poland, notably reached the fourth round of the 2024 Australian Open before falling to Coco Gauff.
As the match unfolded under the lights, the atmosphere was electric for Williams, who was greeted with a chorus of cheers. Each powerful stroke she delivered sent waves of excitement through the crowd.
Yet, Williams struggled with her precision at times, evidenced by a missed forehand that gave Frech a 3-2 advantage. Williams visibly displayed frustration after several unforced errors, tallying 14 in the first set—over double Frech’s count. Fans quickly rallied, expressing their support with encouraging shouts.
As Williams fell behind 1-0 in the second set, the crowd burst into a spirited chant of “Here we go, Venus! Here we go!”
She received thunderous applause after winning a game moments later, with chants of “Venus!” filling the air as she managed to break Frech to narrow the score to 4-2. Unfortunately, that was her last game of the match.
After 1 hour and 12 minutes, the match concluded with a forehand that sailed long. The audience stood in appreciation, and Williams responded with a smile and a joyful pirouette, the kind usually reserved for victories.
“We’re never saying goodbye to Venus Williams, are we?” the stadium announcer remarked, evoking emotional support from the crowd.
In other matches on Thursday, top-seeded Jessica Pegula faced an upset, losing to 2021 U.S. Open finalist Leylah Fernandez with scores of 6-3, 1-6, 7-5. Meanwhile, Emma Raducanu made a statement by overpowering Naomi Osaka, winning their inaugural clash 6-4, 6-2.
“I could feel an added intensity,” Raducanu reflected. “This was a match that garnered a lot of pre-game buzz.”
Raducanu, who made history as the first qualifier to win a Grand Slam title in 2021 by defeating Fernandez in the final, effectively defended against the only two break points she faced while breaking Osaka’s serve three times.
Notable male seeds advancing included No. 4 Ben Shelton, No. 6 Frances Tiafoe, No. 7 Alex de Minaur, No. 8 Daniil Medvedev, No. 12 Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, and No. 14 Brandon Nakashima.
