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Venus Williams’ singles losing streak extended to 16 matches on Tuesday, October 27, when the 46-year-old American fell 6-2, 6-2 to Austria’s Lilli Tagger in the first round of the Guangzhou Open in China. Tagger, 18, is 28 years younger than the seven-time Grand Slam singles champion and advanced after winning in straight sets.
Williams was unable to find a way past the teenager in Guangzhou, losing both sets by the same 6-2 scoreline. The defeat continued a difficult run in singles competition for the former world No. 1, who has not won a WTA Tour singles match since defeating Peyton Stearns in Washington in July 2025.
Tagger’s victory came at the WTA 250 event, where Williams had received a wildcard entry. The Austrian is part of a younger generation on tour, and the match offered a stark age contrast: Williams is 46, while Tagger is 18. Despite Williams’ long record at the highest level, the younger player progressed comfortably through the opening round.
Williams was ranked 599 in the world at the time of the defeat, according to an AFP report published on Tuesday. Her run of losses has continued through several tournaments since her return to the tour, including appearances at the Australian Open and US Open in 2026.
Williams’ last singles victory on the WTA Tour came in Washington in July 2025, when she beat Peyton Stearns after returning from a 16-month absence. That win was a notable moment in her comeback, but she has not been able to add another tour-level singles victory since then.
She went into the US Open in August 2026 after a series of losses and was beaten by fellow American Sofia Kenin in the first round. That defeat was reported as her 15th consecutive singles loss. The Guangzhou result therefore extended the streak to 16 matches and left her still searching for a singles win in the 2026 season.
The numbers tell only part of the story of a player whose career includes seven Grand Slam singles titles and a former world No. 1 ranking. Williams has continued to seek opportunities to compete through wildcard entries, but the results in singles have been difficult as she faces younger opponents with more recent match momentum.
Williams’ week in Guangzhou has not been without a victory. Partnering Indonesia’s Janice Tjen in the women’s doubles draw, she won their opening match on Monday, October 26. The pair defeated Ekaterine Gorgodze and Kimberley Zimmermann 6-0, 7-5 to reach the next round.
The doubles win was a contrasting result to the singles defeat and gave Williams another chance to compete in Guangzhou. Tjen is a leading Indonesian player and was the reigning doubles champion at the tournament, having won the previous edition with Katarzyna Piter. Williams and Tjen will continue their campaign in the doubles draw while Williams’ singles appearance has ended.
The Guangzhou Open marked Williams’ first WTA Tour appearance in Asia since 2019. She last competed on the Asian swing in Tianjin that October, when she lost in the first round to Rebecca Peterson. Her return to China was part of a late-season schedule that included wildcard entries in both singles and doubles.
Williams’ history in the sport remains substantial: she has won seven major singles titles and held the world No. 1 ranking. The current losing streak, however, underlines the challenge of returning to the tour and sustaining results at 46. The Guangzhou singles defeat adds another entry to that run, while the doubles win shows that she remains active across more than one format.
For now, Williams’ singles campaign in Guangzhou is over after one match. Her doubles partnership with Tjen provides the remaining competitive focus of the week, as the American continues her return to the tour following a series of difficult singles results.
