NEW YORK, Aug. 31 — Venus Williams’ latest US Open singles campaign ended in the early hours of Monday after fellow American Sofia Kenin survived a dramatic second-set fightback to win 6-2, 7-6 (8-6) at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The result itself was significant. The circumstances surrounding it made the encounter historic.
Williams and Kenin did not begin until 12:13 a.m. local time, after Novak Djokovic’s marathon five-set defeat to Mariano Navone pushed the night session deep beyond midnight. Reuters described it as the latest starting women’s match in US Open history, while ESPN reported that the 12:13 a.m. start surpassed the tournament’s previous record by six minutes.
By the time Kenin finally closed out the contest, the clock had reached approximately 2:01 a.m. ESPN reported that it was the latest finish for a first-round match in US Open history and the third-latest finish for a women’s match at the tournament at any stage.
Kenin strikes first as Venus struggles to settle
Kenin wasted little time taking control.
The 2020 Australian Open champion broke Williams in the opening game and quickly built a 3-0 advantage. Both Americans initially struggled with their serves, combining for nine double faults during the first set, but Kenin proved far more effective at capitalising on the errors.
Williams briefly threatened to respond when she broke back to love, but another lost service game allowed Kenin to pull clear and take the opener 6-2 in only 32 minutes.
For Williams, the match represented another extraordinary longevity milestone.
The seven-time Grand Slam singles champion was making her 26th US Open main-draw appearance and her 96th Grand Slam main-draw appearance, decades after making her major debut at Roland Garros in 1997. The official US Open website noted before the match that Williams owned a 271-87 career record at Grand Slam tournaments.
She is also a two-time singles champion in New York, having won consecutive US Open crowns in 2000 and 2001.
Seven set points — and a brutal missed opportunity
The second set produced the night’s real drama.
Kenin again moved ahead, but Williams began finding the aggressive tennis that made her one of the defining players of her generation.
With the Arthur Ashe crowd urging her on, Williams battled back and eventually held serve for 6-5, putting herself one game from forcing a deciding third set.
Kenin pushed the set into a tiebreak — and that was where Williams came agonisingly close.
Williams earned seven set points, according to Reuters, but failed to convert any of them. Kenin repeatedly survived the danger before finally finishing the match in straight sets.
For Williams, those lost opportunities transformed what appeared capable of becoming another memorable late-night comeback into another first-round US Open exit.
ESPN reports that Williams has not won a singles match at the tournament since 2019 and that her most recent tour-level singles victory came in Washington in July 2025.
The match nearly moved — but Ashe remained the stage
There was another twist before the two Americans even struck a ball.
USA Today reported that the match was set to be moved from Arthur Ashe Stadium to Louis Armstrong Stadium because of the lengthy Djokovic-Navone match. According to the report, however, both Williams and Kenin wanted to remain on Ashe, where their showdown had originally been scheduled.
The fans who stayed were rewarded with nearly two hours of late-night drama.
For Kenin, it was particularly meaningful: ESPN reported that the victory was her first US Open night-session win, having entered the match 0-5 in night-session appearances.
Kenin’s reward? Jessica Pegula
There will be little time for Kenin to celebrate.
Her second-round opponent is No. 3 seed Jessica Pegula, who cruised past Romania’s Elena-Gabriela Ruse 6-3, 6-2 in her opening match.
Pegula has been one of the WTA Tour’s strongest performers in 2026. The official US Open website said the 32-year-old entered the tournament with a tour-leading five finals this season and titles in Dubai and Charleston. She was also the 2024 US Open runner-up.
The two Americans know each other well.
Pegula leads their tour-level head-to-head 4-2, according to the US Open, including victories over Kenin in the 2024 US Open second round and the 2025 Charleston final.
There is an even bigger incentive hanging over Pegula’s tournament: the official US Open site says winning the championship would put her in position to rise to world No. 1.
That means Kenin has survived one former world No. 1 and Grand Slam legend only to run immediately into one of the players with the most at stake in New York.
Venus’ US Open is not necessarily over
The singles defeat does not mean Williams is finished at Flushing Meadows.
Venus and younger sister Serena Williams have received a wild card into the women’s doubles tournament, continuing one of the most successful partnerships in tennis history.
The sisters have won 14 Grand Slam women’s doubles titles together, including US Open championships in 1999 and 2009. The official tournament schedule says their opening doubles match is expected on either September 3 or September 4.
Their most recent major doubles title came at Wimbledon in 2016, and this year’s US Open will be only their third Grand Slam tournament together since then.
So while Kenin ended Venus Williams’ singles run before dawn in New York, the 46-year-old’s latest US Open chapter may not be finished yet.
For Kenin, meanwhile, surviving Williams was only the beginning.
Jessica Pegula is waiting.
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