Venus Williams was eliminated in the first round of the National Bank Open Sunday, falling 6-4, 6-1 to Kamilla Rakhimova at Sobeys Stadium in Toronto. The seven-time Grand Slam champion, who entered the WTA 1000 event on a singles wild card, faced a weather delay that postponed play for nearly two hours before the match got underway.
The 46-year-old former world No. 1, ranked 664th globally, struggled to find consistent rhythm against Rakhimova, a 24-year-old from Uzbekistan ranked No. 82. After a competitive start, Williams was broken late in the first set and saw her opponent dominate the second set with multiple service breaks, concluding the match in one hour and 27 minutes. This loss extends Williams’s streak to 12 consecutive defeats dating back to July 2025.
Williams declined to speak with reporters following the match but participated in a brief interview with a member of the tour’s communications team. She highlighted the support of the crowd and the challenge of competing outdoors in unpredictable weather. “We play outside … you can’t control the weather,” she said. “The fans were amazing. They were with me right in every point – that was fantastic.” She added that she fought hard to keep the ball in play and had some chances during the match.
Rakhimova described the opportunity to face a player of Williams’s stature as a memorable experience. “Playing Venus is not an everyday experience,” Rakhimova said. “I’m very glad to actually get a chance to play against her. I was looking forward to that match. I knew it was gonna be a centre-court match. I was trying to enjoy my time on it, no matter what the result is. And I think I did pretty well.”
Sunday’s session at the York University campus was marked by heavy rain earlier in the day, contributing to delays that pushed scheduled matches into the afternoon and evening. Among other results, local player Katherine Sebov defeated Aoi Ito of Japan 6-3, 6-4, while Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro won 6-2, 6-4 against Canadian Ariana Arsenault. Matches involving Canadian players Cadence Brace and Bianca Andreescu were also scheduled later in the day. Andreescu, the 2019 champion and a wild-card entrant from Mississauga, was set to face Czech player Nikola Bartunkova.
Leylah Fernandez of Laval, Quebec, the top-seeded Canadian at No. 30 globally, is slated to begin play in the tournament on Wednesday. Williams, who has made 13 appearances at the Canadian event, previously reached the final in 2014 by defeating her sister Serena Williams. Reflecting on her match, Venus Williams said determination and fighting spirit were key factors in her performance. “It was really fun to be back after having not been here for a while,” she said.