Jump to contentAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleSofia Kenin defeated 46-year-old Venus Williams 6-2 7-6(6) in the first round of the US Open. The match at Arthur Ashe Stadium began at 12.13am, marking the latest start time for a women's match in tournament history. The late start occurred after Novak Djokovic's five-set match against Mariano Navone ran late into the night. Williams criticised the scheduling afterwards, stating that playing after midnight is not ideal and calling for improvements in the sport. Kenin saved seven set points in the second-set tiebreak to secure victory and set up a second-round tie with Jessica Pegula. In fullVenus Williams rails against US Open late-night starts in defeat to Sofia KeninMore bulletinsThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in

Two Americans are set to face off in the first round of the 2026 U.S. Open as two-time winner Venus Williams returns for another go in 2026, 25 years since her

Venus Williams had her 26th U.S. Open appearance delayed until after midnight. Then the 46-year-old lost in straight sets in what could be her final singles match at a Grand Slam,…

Sofia Kenin survives a second-set tiebreak to win her US Open clash against Venus Williams.