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Venus Williams made her much-anticipated debut at the ATX Open in Austin, but the week ended in disappointment as she suffered first-round losses in both singles and doubles, dropping her 2026 season overall record to 0-7.
The 45-year-old remains a fan favorite wherever she competes, however, the former world No. 1 is still searching for her first win of the season. At the WTA 250 event in Texas, the American wildcard fell 6-4 6-1 to Ajla Tomljanovic in her singles opener.
The loss adds to a string of early exits in 2026. Williams previously bowed out in the opening round at the ASB Classic in Auckland (to Magda Linette), the Hobart International (to Tatjana Maria), and the Australian Open (to Olga Danilovic).
She also took to the doubles court in Austin, teaming up with fellow American Peyton Stearns for the first time. Interestingly, it was against Stearns that Williams earned her comeback victory in Washington, D.C. last summer, marking her return after a 16-month hiatus.
Facing top seeds Storm Hunter and Taylor Townsend, Williams and Stearns battled hard but ultimately fell 6-2 7-6(5). The top-seeded pair controlled the opening set with two service breaks. In the second set, however, Williams and Stearns steadied their serves and forced a tiebreak. With the score level at 5-5 in the tiebreak, the American duo stayed within striking distance, but Hunter and Townsend claimed the final two points to seal the match in straight sets.
In her previous two doubles appearances this season, Williams partnered with Elina Svitolina in Auckland and Ekaterina Alexandrova in Melbourne, but those campaigns also ended in early exits.
After wrapping up her Austin campaign, the five-time Wimbledon champion now turns her attention to Indian Wells, where she has also received wildcards into the singles and doubles main draws. The veteran’s doubles partner at the BNP Paribas Open will be Leylah Fernandez, with whom she reached the 2025 US Open quarterfinals.
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