Venus Williams suffers her 13th straight defeat: Does it make sense to keep playing singles at 46 years old?

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The competitive reality of Venus Williams is becoming difficult to ignore. The 46-year-old American fell 6-3 and 6-3 to Anastasia Potapova in the first round of the 2026 Washington WTA 500, extending her streak of consecutive singles defeats to 13 matches. Her last victory remains the one achieved precisely in this tournament last year against Peyton Stearns.

No one can question the right of a legend of her magnitude to prolong her career as long as she maintains the passion. However, from a strictly sporting point of view, it is increasingly difficult to find meaning in her presence in individual draws via wildcards.

Venus still searching for answers in singles

Potapova clearly exposed the huge gap currently existing between Venus and a fully competitive player on the circuit. Williams won a solid 78.4% of points played on her first serve, but only 24.1% on second serves and 20% on return points. She didn't even have a break point opportunity throughout the match.

Potapova wins the striking battle 😤

She ends Venus Williams' D.C. run in straight sets.#MubadalaDCOpen pic.com/lSzRUlXWjS

— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) July 29, 2026

This situation contrasts with that magical night in Washington 2025. Venus defeated Peyton Stearns 6-3, 6-4, becoming, at 45 years old, the second oldest woman to win an individual match on the circuit after Martina Navratilova.

That seemed to prove that she could still achieve occasional feats. A year and 13 defeats later, the outlook has changed.

Her competitiveness in doubles and the enormous media appeal she retains fully justify her continued enjoyment of professional tennis. The question arises whether it makes sense to persist in singles when the results are so emphatic. Venus Williams has absolutely nothing to prove, but precisely because of the magnitude of her legacy, it is becoming inevitable to wonder how much she can gain from exposing herself to a competitive reality that seems to have definitively left her behind.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Venus Williams encadena su 13ª derrota: ¿tiene sentido seguir jugando individuales con 46 años?