Venus Williams is questioning why she and Sofia Kenin were forced to begin their first-round US Open match after midnight.
Williams, 46, took the court at Arthur Ashe Stadium at approximately 12:13 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 31 — reportedly the latest a match has ever started in US Open history.
“I would’ve preferred something else, definitely,” Williams said after the match, per The New York Times. “I think it wasn’t great for either of us. We both tried our best.”
The seven-time Grand Slam champion also questioned whether athletes in any other professional sport would be expected to begin competing at such a late hour.
“I just don’t know any other sport where you have to start that late,” Williams said. “I definitely think there’s room for improvement there.”
Per the outlet, the scheduling issue arose after the preceding match between Novak Djokovic and Mariano Navone lasted four hours and 36 minutes. Their five-set battle pushed Williams and Kenin’s match into the early hours of Monday morning.
(Photo by Mike Lawrence/USTA via Getty Images)Williams ultimately lost to Kenin, 2-6, 6-7, but nearly extended the match into a third set.
The tennis legend earned three set points while returning at 5-4 in the second set before forcing a tiebreak. Kenin, 27, then won six consecutive points to close out the match.
Williams wasn’t the only person questioning the late start.
(Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP via Getty Images)Tennis journalist Ben Rothenberg called the situation “dysfunctional” in a post on X.
“This Venus-Kenin match is setting a new record for latest EVER start to a U.S. Open match,” Rothenberg wrote, noting that the previous record was approximately 12:08 a.m. for Aryna Sabalenka and Ekaterina Alexandrova in 2024.
“This match started at 12:13 by my clock,” he added.
Despite her singles loss, Williams’ run at the US Open isn’t over.
She will next return to the court alongside her younger sister, Serena Williams, after the 14-time Grand Slam doubles champions received a wild card to compete together.
The sisters, who last played US Open doubles together in 2022, are expected to begin their tournament Thursday, Sept. 3, or Friday, Sept. 4.
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