Venus Williams Loses 10th Straight Match in Madrid Open

Venus Williams suffered her 10th consecutive singles defeat on Tuesday, falling 6-2, 6-4 to 20-year-old Spanish wild card Kaitlin Quevedo in the first round of the Madrid Open. The 45-year-old American, a seven-time Grand Slam champion and former world No. 1, marked an unwanted milestone as the first player of her stature to endure such a losing streak since WTA rankings began in 1975.

The match, played under gusty winds at Estadio Manolo Santana, featured numerous unforced errors from both players. Williams, returning to clay for the first time since a first-round exit at the 2021 French Open, held serve early but struggled to maintain consistency. Quevedo, ranked 140th, broke Williams twice in the opening set to take a 3-0 lead and held firm despite a brief fightback. In the second set, Williams broke to lead 3-0, but a passing rain shower prompted a delay as the retractable roof closed. Upon resumption, Quevedo rallied, winning six of the final seven games to secure the victory in one hour and 43 minutes. It was Quevedo's first win in a WTA 1000 main draw and just her second at tour level, making her the youngest Spanish player to claim a main-draw match at the Madrid Open.