American tennis legend Venus Williams has suffered her 17th consecutive singles defeat after losing to compatriot Mary Stoiana in the opening round of the Hong Kong Tennis Open.
According to AFP, the 46-year-old former world number one lost 6-2, 6-3 on Monday, November 2, 2026.
Williams, a seven-time Grand Slam singles champion, was unable to overcome her 23-year-old opponent despite strong support from spectators.
The result extended her winless run in singles competition, which dates back to July 2025.
Venus Williams loses to younger opponent
Williams entered the match ranked 597th in the world, while Stoiana occupied 113th position.
The younger American controlled the opening set, taking advantage of Williams’ inconsistent play.
At one point, Williams stumbled while attempting to return a shot but managed to remain on her feet.
Stoiana maintained her advantage to claim the opening set 6-2.
Despite greater resistance from Williams in the second set, the younger player secured a 6-3 victory.
Stoiana will face either Romania’s Sorana Cirstea or Uzbekistan’s Maria Timofeeva in the next round.
Williams speaks on future after latest defeat
Speaking after the match, Williams explained that she had not decided whether she would continue competing in singles tournaments in 2027.
“I haven’t made any plans for next year, also this year I didn’t make plans, just took it one step at a time,” she said.
“We’ll see.”
The tennis veteran also joked about seeking advice from her younger sister, Serena Williams.
“I’m going to ask what Serena’s doing, probably copy her,” she added.
Williams explained that she was concentrating on each tournament rather than making long-term decisions about her career.
Venus Williams searches for first singles win since 2025
Williams last recorded a singles victory on the WTA Tour in July 2025.
Her latest defeat followed a straight-sets loss to Austrian teenager Lilli Tagger at the Guangzhou Open in October.
She had also exited the US Open in the first round after losing to Sofia Kenin.
Despite her singles struggles, Williams has continued participating in doubles competitions.
She recently reached the semi-finals in Guangzhou alongside Indonesian player Janice Tjen.
The American star is also scheduled to compete in doubles at the Hong Kong tournament.
Williams has maintained that she remains focused on competing and will decide her future one tournament at a time.
