Venus Williams loses to Sofia Kenin at US Open in record late start

Venus Williams extended her singles losing streak to 15 consecutive matches after a straight-sets defeat to fellow American Sofia Kenin in the first round of the US Open on Monday. The match, which began at 12:13 a.m. ET at Arthur Ashe Stadium, set the record for the latest start to a women's match in tournament history and concluded at 2:01 a.m., marking the latest first-round finish ever. The 46-year-old Williams, a seven-time Grand Slam champion and two-time US Open winner, received a wildcard entry into the event. She was defeated 6-2, 7-6(6) by the 2020 Australian Open champion Kenin, who is currently ranked 110th in the world. The match was delayed significantly after a preceding five-set battle between Novak Djokovic and Mariano Navone lasted four hours and 36 minutes. By the time Williams and Kenin took the court, only about 1,000 spectators remained in the stadium. Kenin dominated the first set, breaking Williams in the opening game and securing it 6-2 in just 32 minutes. Williams showed greater determination in the second set, rallying from a 4-2 deficit to force a tiebreak.