Venus Williams loses again – to opponent 28 years younger
Former world number one Venus Williams lost her 16th straight singles match, beaten by an opponent 28 years younger at the Guangzhou Open.
Venus Williams, a former world number one, suffered a defeat in her 16th consecutive singles match at the Guangzhou Open, a 6-2, 6-2 loss to 18-year-old Lilli Tagger. The age gap between the players was the largest in a WTA match this decade and among the greatest in tour-level history. Williams, ranked 599th and having not won a match since July 2025, relies on wildcards to play WTA tournaments.
The defeat reignites the debate over whether Williams deserves wildcard entries, with some arguing she takes spots from younger players. Despite losing, Williams put up a strong fight, particularly on serve where she broke Tagger's serve twice. Tagger, who is 53rd in the world, expressed her respect for Williams and wished her well in her future endeavors.
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- Venus Williams 0-13 in singles this year after losing to rival 28 years younger at Guangzhou Open winnipegfreepress.com
