Venus Williams is once again struggling in vain to secure a victory in Hong Kong. A sad run of form continues.
Even at the age of 46, Venus Williams cannot bring herself to give up professional tennis. Yet there is little sign of her former glory in the seven-time Grand Slam winner.
At the WTA tournament in Hong Kong on Monday, the American lost to her compatriot Mary Stoiana, suffering her 17th defeat in a row. Losing 2–6, 3–6 defeat to the world number 114, who is 23 years her junior, Williams stood little chance.
Williams, who made her professional debut in 1994 at the age of 14, returned to the tour in 2025 after a 16-month break and immediately won her first match in Washington against Peyton Stearns (USA). Since then, however, she has lost every match.
Still, the week before, she had reached a doubles semi-final for the first time since 2016, partnering Janice Tjen at the tournament in Guangzhou. Venus had most recently competed in the doubles at the US Open alongside her younger sister Serena for the first time since 2022; the high-profile pair were narrowly knocked out in the first round.