Seven-time Grand Slam singles champion Venus Williams suffered her 13th consecutive singles defeat of the year after losing 6-2, 6-2 to 18-year-old Austrian Lilli Tagger in the opening round of the Guangzhou Open on Tuesday.
The 46-year-old American, currently ranked World No. 599, was unable to challenge the teenager in a match featuring a 28-year age difference, reportedly the largest between two opponents in a WTA Tour contest.
Tagger, ranked 53rd in the world, was born in 2008, the same year Williams won the last of her seven Grand Slam singles titles at Wimbledon.
The defeat extended Williams' losing streak to 16 consecutive tour-level singles matches, dating back to July 2025.
Williams struggles against teenager
Playing her first singles match in two months, Williams struggled to make an impact against her younger opponent, who dominated the contest with an effective service game.
Both players landed 63 per cent of their first serves, but their success rates on those deliveries differed considerably.
While Tagger won every point played behind her first serve, Williams managed to win only 60 per cent of hers.
The American failed to create a single break-point opportunity throughout the match, while Tagger converted four of the 16 chances she earned.
The Austrian maintained control in both sets, securing identical 6-2 scorelines to advance to the next round.
Losing streak continues
Williams had last competed in singles at the US Open, where she suffered a first-round defeat to compatriot Sofia Kenin.
Her return to action in Guangzhou offered another opportunity to end a difficult run of results, but the former World No. 1 was unable to register her first singles victory of the season.
Tuesday's loss left Williams with a 0-13 singles record in 2026 and extended her winless sequence on tour to 16 matches.
Despite the setbacks, Williams continues to compete professionally at an age when most of her contemporaries have long retired from the sport.
Kenin also exits tournament
Former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin also suffered an opening-round defeat at the Guangzhou Open, losing a closely contested three-set encounter against Kaitlin Quevedo.
Quevedo defeated Kenin 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-4 in their round-of-32 match.
After losing the opening set, Kenin fought back to claim the second in a tie-break and force a decider. However, Quevedo regained control in the third set to complete the victory and advance to the next round.
The results marked early exits for both American players, while Tagger and Quevedo progressed in the tournament.