Venus Williams has extended her losing streak to 11 after falling to qualifier Irina-Camelia Begu at Bad Homburg in the first round.
Williams lost the grueling three-setter in 2 hours and 57 minutes.
What happened?
Venus Williams was handed a wild-card entry into the tournament but lost to Begu 6-2, 4-6, 7-6(6), despite saving two match points.
11 double faults proved costly for Williams.
Why it matters for Venus Williams
The loss has raised concerns among fans about Williams' recent form and her legacy as a seven-time Grand Slam champion.
Fans have taken to social media to express disappointment and concern.
What comes next?
Venus Williams will take the stage at Wimbledon alongside her sister Serena Williams after being granted a wild card in doubles.
However, Venus' recent stint on grass has been questioned as her singles record fell to 0-8 for 2026.
Venus Williams had previously faced Camelia Begu back in 2017 at Toronto and beat the Romanian in the round of 64 on the hard court tournament.
The loss has extended Venus Williams’ singles losing streak to 11, dating back to July 2025 at the Mubadala Citi DC Open in Washington, D.C.
Williams has had 819 wins and 289 losses throughout her career and has won Wimbledon five times.
However, since last year, she has been 1–11 in her last 12 matches and has lost her last eight in the first round.
Since 2025, Williams has found herself in a cycle of injury setbacks and opening-round exits.
The 2023 Wimbledon defeat was her last rendezvous with grass; since then, she has skipped the grass courts due to a knee injury.
Her only singles win between 2025 and 2026 came against Peyton Stearns in two sets in the first round of the Mubadala Citi DC Open 2025.
It remains to be seen if Venus can build back her legendary momentum alongside her sister Serena Williams to have a reasonable doubles run at the upcoming Wimbledon Championships.