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Venus Williams’ losing streak stretched to 10 matches after a straight-sets defeat to Kaitlin Quevedo at the Madrid Open.
Former world number one Venus Williams has suffered a 10th consecutive singles defeat after losing 6-2 6-4 to Kaitlin Quevedo at the Madrid Open.
The 45-year-old is now the first former world number one to lose 10 matches in a row since the WTA rankings were introduced in 1975. Her last victory came in July last year at the Washington Open, where she defeated fellow American Peyton Stearns.
Williams remains one of the most decorated players in tennis history, having won Wimbledon five times between 2000 and 2008 and the US Open twice. She also holds the record for most Grand Slam appearances, with this year's Australian Open marking her 95th major tournament.
Her younger sister, Serena Williams, 44, has not played since the 2022 US Open but has not officially retired. The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion is eligible to return after re-entering the out-of-competition drug testing pool, although no comeback has been confirmed.
At the Caja Magica in Madrid, Quevedo, ranked 140 in the world, was playing in her first WTA 1000 main draw match. The 20-year-old Spaniard entered as a wildcard and recovered from 3-0 down in the second set to secure a straight-sets win.
Williams, a Madrid finalist in 2010, was ultimately unable to halt Quevedo's momentum in a match that highlighted the gap between the emerging generation and one of the sport's long-serving figures.