Sofia Kenin defeats Venus Williams in late-night U.S. Open first-round match
4 sources • 3 min read • Latest: Aug 31, 2026, 8:27 AM
Last updated Aug 31, 2026
Sofia Kenin defeated Venus Williams in the first round of the U.S. Open early Monday morning at Arthur Ashe Stadium. The match began at 12:13 a.m. ET and concluded at 2:01 a.m., marking the latest start and finish for a first-round match in the tournament's history. Kenin secured the victory with a 6-2, 7-6(6) scoreline, overcoming a second-set comeback attempt from Williams. The delayed start time occurred after a lengthy five-set match between Novak Djokovic and Mariano Navone pushed the night session schedule well past midnight. Williams, who held seven set points during the second set, now holds an 0-12 singles record this year. She plans to participate in the tournament's doubles event alongside her sister, Serena Williams.
- •Sofia Kenin beat Venus Williams 6-2, 7-6(6) in a first-round match.
- •The match set a record for the latest start in U.S. Open history at 12:13 a.m.
- •Venus Williams holds a 0-12 singles record for the current year.
- •The delay resulted from a previous five-set match between Novak Djokovic and Mariano Navone.
- •Venus and Serena Williams will compete together in the doubles draw.
- 8:27 AMThe Guardian Sport — Venus Williams bows out after 2am following latest start in US Open history
- 8:27 AMYahoo Sports — Venus Williams bows out after 2am following latest start in US Open history
- 6:29 AMYahoo Sports — US Open: As Venus Williams falls in a match that ends at 2 a.m., the sport must examine its scheduling problem
- 6:16 AMYahoo Sports — The U.S. Open’s latest start in history saw Venus Williams come agonizingly close to a late, late show
"Kenin wins 6-2, 7-6 (6) in late-night contest Williams loses 15th straight tour-level match First-round clash finally begins at 12.13am Sunday had become Monday by the time Venus Williams finally emerged beneath the closed roof of Arthur Ashe Stadium, her entrance pushed deep into the night after Novak Djokovic’s bruising defeat by Argentina’s Mariano Navone went the five-set distance. The first ball was struck at 12.13am, the latest start to a match in US Open history, yet several thousand spectators remained to watch a player who has been part of this tournament for as long as the building itself. At 46 years old, ranked 611th in the world and making her record-extending 26th US Open singles appearance, Williams has grown accustomed to making history simply by showing up. Even by those standards this latest installment was, as she would later describe it, “completely insane”. Continue reading...
"Sunday had become Monday by the time Venus Williams finally emerged beneath the closed roof of Arthur Ashe Stadium, her entrance pushed deep into the night after Novak Djokovic’s bruising defeat by Argentina’s Mariano Navone went the five-set distance. The first ball was struck at 12.13am, the latest start to a match in US Open history, yet several thousand spectators remained to watch a player who has been part of this tournament for as long as the building itself. At 46 years old, ranked 611th in the world and making her record-extending 26th US Open singles appearance, Williams has grown accustomed to making history simply by showing up.
"NEW YORK — At 12:13 a.m. Monday morning in New York, a matchup of former Grand Slam champions who are now wild-card entrants set the record for the latest start to a match at the U.S. Open. When it was over, at 2:01 a.m., Sofia Kenin had beaten Venus Williams 6-2, 7-6(6), as a match that turned into the latest first-round finish in tournament history threatened to unfurl into a vintage comeback. Williams had seven set points in the second set, three in a row on Kenin’s serve and four in a row in
Sources
External links- The Guardian SportAug 31, 2026, 8:27 AMVenus Williams bows out after 2am following latest start in US Open history
Kenin wins 6-2, 7-6 (6) in late-night contest Williams loses 15th straight tour-level match First-round clash finally begins at 12.13am Sunday had become Monday by the time Venus Williams finally emerged beneath the closed roof of Arthur Ashe Stadium, her entrance pushed deep into the night after Novak Djokovic’s bruising defeat by Argentina’s Mariano Navone went the five-set distance. The first ball was struck at 12.13am, the latest start to a match in US Open history, yet several thousand spectators remained to watch a player who has been part of this tournament for as long as the building itself. At 46 years old, ranked 611th in the world and making her record-extending 26th US Open singles appearance, Williams has grown accustomed to making history simply by showing up. Even by those standards this latest installment was, as she would later describe it, “completely insane”. Continue reading...
- Yahoo SportsAug 31, 2026, 8:27 AMVenus Williams bows out after 2am following latest start in US Open history
Sunday had become Monday by the time Venus Williams finally emerged beneath the closed roof of Arthur Ashe Stadium, her entrance pushed deep into the night after Novak Djokovic’s bruising defeat by Argentina’s Mariano Navone went the five-set distance. The first ball was struck at 12.13am, the latest start to a match in US Open history, yet several thousand spectators remained to watch a player who has been part of this tournament for as long as the building itself. At 46 years old, ranked 611th in the world and making her record-extending 26th US Open singles appearance, Williams has grown accustomed to making history simply by showing up.
- Yahoo SportsAug 31, 2026, 6:29 AMUS Open: As Venus Williams falls in a match that ends at 2 a.m., the sport must examine its scheduling problem
Venus Williams' first-round match against Sofia Kenin didn't start until 12:15 a.m. in New York. That's a lot to ask of people who pay for tickets.
- Yahoo SportsAug 31, 2026, 6:16 AMThe U.S. Open’s latest start in history saw Venus Williams come agonizingly close to a late, late show
NEW YORK — At 12:13 a.m. Monday morning in New York, a matchup of former Grand Slam champions who are now wild-card entrants set the record for the latest start to a match at the U.S. Open. When it was over, at 2:01 a.m., Sofia Kenin had beaten Venus Williams 6-2, 7-6(6), as a match that turned into the latest first-round finish in tournament history threatened to unfurl into a vintage comeback. Williams had seven set points in the second set, three in a row on Kenin’s serve and four in a row in
Original reporting and copyright belong to the linked sources. SportsNewsReport.com aggregates and links — it does not republish full articles.
Related Stories
Last 14 days
ATP•Oct 20, 2026, 8:03 AMVoting open for October 12-17 South Bend Tribune athlete of the week
ATP•Oct 20, 2026, 8:01 AMVote here for SJ-R's athlete of the week, sponsored by Heartland Credit Union
ATP•Oct 20, 2026, 7:10 AMSwiatek withdraws from the Ningbo Open with a left thigh injury
TennisATP•Oct 20, 2026, 1:02 AMCedarville University renames $1.2M tennis complex for Hall of Fame coach- TennisATP•Oct 19, 2026, 10:31 PMGirls tennis: Benson/KMS, YME, Montevideo players are alive in Section 3A
- ATP•Oct 19, 2026, 10:15 PMRafael Jódar faces growing scrutiny after foul-mouthed exchange with ball boy
