Venus Williams targets participation in French Open following defeat in Madrid.
MADRID — Venus Williams is focused on the French Open.
The 45-year-old former world No. 1 stated on Tuesday after her 10th consecutive singles defeat that she is contemplating participating at Roland Garros next month.
“Yeah, I mean, to get my feet dirty, this was a great start,” she remarked during her post-match press conference at the Madrid Open. “I’m unable to compete in Rome due to other commitments, which is quite disappointing for me. My husband is Italian, so we feel sad about not being there. We would love to continue on the clay.”
Williams, a seven-time Grand Slam titleholder, fell 6-2, 6-4 to 20-year-old Spaniard Kaitlin Quevedo.
It had been five years since Williams last competed in Madrid. Her most recent clay tournament was at the 2021 French Open, where she was defeated in her opening match by Ekaterina Alexandrova.
“All these things require adjustments,” Williams noted. “I began my clay practice a couple of weeks after Miami. I haven’t really played on clay in years. But I enjoy the clay; it’s fun. I faced a very inspired opponent today.”
Williams’ last victory on tour was against Peyton Stearns in the round of 16 of a WTA 500 event in Washington in July 2025. This year, she has already lost in Auckland, Hobart, the Australian Open, Austin, Indian Wells, and Miami.
Quevedo achieved her first WTA 1000 main-draw victory and only the second tour-level win of her career. She became the youngest Spanish player to win a main-draw match at the Madrid Open.
“I was so surprised,” Quevedo expressed. “I didn’t expect that to happen. I’m just really happy that I was able to compete against such a legend on this amazing court for the first time. It was a privilege, and I’m just really happy to be here.”
Source: espn.com
