Venus Williams was eliminated from the Guangzhou Open in the first round on Tuesday, losing 6-2, 6-2 to Lilli Tagger of Austria, according to the BBC. The result extends the 46-year-old American's singles losing streak to 16 matches and gives her a 0-13 record in singles this year, ESPN reports.
The gap between the two players is 28 years, the BBC notes, making it the widest age difference between opponents in a WTA match this decade and one of the largest ever recorded at tour level.
Why it matters
Williams is a seven-time Grand Slam singles champion and a former world number one, but she is now ranked 599th and has not won a match since July 2025. She enters WTA events on wildcards, and her continued presence on tour has become a talking point in the sport.
Some argue that her wildcard entries take places away from younger players trying to build their careers, the BBC reports. Tournament organisers, by contrast, point to the commercial draw of hosting one of the sport's best-known figures.
The crowd in Guangzhou appeared to side with the organisers. The BBC describes a large and enthusiastic attendance that backed Williams throughout and gave her a loud ovation as she left the court.
Tagger's serve proves decisive
Tagger, 18, is ranked 53rd in the world and arrived with a growing reputation. She won the girls' title at the 2025 French Open and is regarded as a prospect with a strong future at the top of the game.
Against Williams she was dominant on serve, according to the BBC, conceding only seven service points across the match and never facing a break point. She also handled Williams' pace and struck her groundstrokes cleanly from both sides.
The teenager broke Williams twice in each set, taking 1-0 and 5-2 leads in two near-identical sets, the BBC reports.
Williams was not without resistance. Her serve helped her escape trouble repeatedly, and she saved 12 of the 16 break points she faced. The BBC notes that her competitive edge did not drop at any stage, even as the scoreline moved against her.
A coach who knows both players
Tagger's coach is Francesca Schiavone, the Italian former world number four who won the 2010 French Open. Schiavone is the same age as Williams and lost all eight of her matches against the American during her own playing career, according to the BBC.
Tagger said she was excited and slightly nervous when the draw was made. "I respect her a lot," she said, adding that it was strange to face a player who once competed against her coach. She also said she would like to still be playing at Williams' age and offered her congratulations.
Williams won six of her Grand Slam singles titles, along with 30 WTA tournaments, before Tagger was born in February 2008, the BBC reports.
The defeat will give more material to those who question whether Williams should keep accepting wildcards. The BBC notes that the one-sided score will strengthen that argument, while also pointing out that Tagger was made to work for her win.
What to watch next is whether Williams receives further invitations on the tour and how Tagger, now past a famous name, fares against the rest of the Guangzhou field.
