Venus Williams’s singles losing streak extended to 16 matches as her return to competitive tennis ended in a first-round defeat at the Guangzhou Open. The 46-year-old American was defeated in straight sets, 6-2, 6-2, by 18-year-old Austrian Lilli Tagger, who is nearly 28 years her junior.

Williams’s current stretch of losses dates back to July 2025 and began after her opening-round exit at the US Open. At that tournament, the seven-time Grand Slam champion lost to Sofia Kenin in singles and also fell in her first doubles match alongside her sister Serena Williams.

Tagger, the fourth seed in Guangzhou, secured a significant win against the veteran player. The Austrian has rapidly emerged as a rising talent in women’s tennis this season. She claimed her maiden WTA Tour title at the Prague tournament in July and is the reigning 2025 French Open girls’ singles champion. Tagger, currently ranked 53rd in the world, will face Poland’s Magda Linette in the round of 16.

In other tennis action, Cameron Norrie recorded a much-needed victory at the Erste Bank Open in Vienna, defeating Francisco Cerundolo 6-4, 6-1. This win marks a turnaround after a challenging summer for Norrie. He is set to play the winner of the match between Daniil Medvedev and Daniel Merida Aguilar in the next round.