NEW YORK — As the clock struck midnight in Queens, Sofia Kenin and Venus Williams had yet to play a single point on Arthur Ashe Stadium, as the previous five-set match between Novak Djokovic and Mariano Navone went four hours and 36 minutes, with the 24-time Grand Slam champion being sent packing in the first round of a major for the first time in 20 years.
The ladies took the court a mere 10 minutes after the calendar turned to Aug. 31, and when the crowd had finished rubbing their eyes, yawning, and trying to stay awake, Kenin dispatched the 46-year-old two-time US Open champion 6-2, 7-6.
Because of the late start, the match was supposed to be moved to Louis Armstrong Stadium, but both players said they wanted to stay at the original venue at Ashe.
Williams was making her 26th main-draw appearance at the US Open and still had a doubles tournament to play in with her sister, Serena, after receiving a wild card to compete, just as in her singles entry. She was also making her 96th Grand Slam appearance, the most in the Open Era.
The night started when Williams' serve was broken, and then broken again on her next service game as the 27-year-old Kenin took a 3-0 lead, as Williams' unforced errors and double faults were partly to blame, as both players were not sharp, Kenin was much sharper on her first and second serves.
Both women came into the match having had rough seasons. Kenin, who won the 2020 Australian Open and was the 2020 finalist at the French Open, won only six of her first 26 matches in 2026 before her first-round victory, and Williams has now lost 15 consecutive singles matches, including all 12 of her matches in 2026.
Kenin will move on to the second round, where she will face No. 3 seed Jessica Pegula, a 6-3, 6-2 winner over Elena-Gabriela Ruse in her opening match.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Sofia Kenin delivers second straight US Open first round exit for Venus Williams
