Kaitlin Quevedo defeated Venus Williams, 6-2, 6-4, in the first round of the Madrid Open.
It was the 45-year-old’s 10th consecutive WTA Tour defeat, in a run that stretches back to last year’s Washington Open.
Will Venus Williams ever win another singles match?
That's 10 defeats in a row…
Losing her opener in Madrid, Williams set an unwanted tennis record…
Venus Williams becomes first former world number one to lose 10 consecutive matches
Williams is the first former world number one to suffer 10 consecutive defeats since the WTA rankings were first published in 1975.
Venus Williams’ losing streak
| Loss | Match | Opponent | Result | Score | Days since last win |
| – | 2025 Washington Open – 1R | Peyton Stearns | WIN | 6-3, 6-4 | 0 |
| 1 | 2025 Washington Open – 2R | Magdalena Frech | LOSS | 2-6, 2-6 | 2 |
| 2 | 2025 Cincinnati Open – 1R | Jessica Bouzas Maneiro | LOSS | 4-6, 4-6 | 15 |
| 3 | 2025 US Open – 1R | Karolina Muchova | LOSS | 3-6, 6-2, 1-6 | 34 |
| 4 | 2026 ASB Classic – 1R | Magda Linette | LOSS | 4-6, 6-4, 2-6 | 167 |
| 5 | 2026 Hobart International – 1R | Tatjana Maria | LOSS | 4-6, 3-6 | 174 |
| 6 | 2026 Australian Open – 1R | Olga Danilovic | LOSS | 7-6, 3-6, 4-6 | 179 |
| 7 | 2026 ATX Open – 1R | Ajla Tomljanovic | LOSS | 4-6, 1-6 | 216 |
| 8 | 2026 Indian Wells – 1R | Diane Parry | LOSS | 3-6, 7-6, 1-6 | 225 |
| 9 | 2026 Miami Open – 1R | Francesca Jones | LOSS | 5-7, 5-7 | 238 |
| 10 | 2026 Madrid Open – 1R | Kaitlin Quevedo | LOSS | 2-6, 4-6 | 272 |
And to be honest, the chances are that she will extend that record.
She never looked competitive against Quevedo, a player ranked outside the world’s top 100.
Williams continues to receive wild cards for these big WTA 1000 events, but at 45, she doesn’t look like she has what it takes to pull out the win.
Perhaps that’s being unfair, though, as the seven-time Grand Slam champion has come close to ending her losing streak on several occasions.
The most memorable close call was her first-round defeat to Olga Danilovic in Melbourne.
Williams snatched defeat from the jaws of victory on that occasion, failing to capitalise on a commanding lead.
Williams won’t play the Italian Open later this month, but could well receive a wild card for the French Open.
But there’s work to be done before then, as Williams now turns her attention to the Madrid Open doubles tournament.
Williams will partner with British star Katie Boulter in the Spanish capital.
They will take on the Chinese pair, Xu Yifan and Jiang Xinyu in the first round.
Kaitlin Quevedo reacts after beating Venus Williams to secure her first WTA 1000 win
Spain’s Quevedo was delighted with the win, speaking to Sky Sports presenter Laura Robson after the match.
“It was for sure, exciting,” she said.
“I thought my coach was joking when he told me [that she was playing Venus Williams], I was like, wow, that’s amazing!
“I’m just really happy that I was able to play against such an amazing player like Venus [Williams].
“She’s a legend!
“Not many people can say they’ve played against a legend like her.
“I’m just really happy and grateful to be able to play on this court for the first time, and against such an amazing player.”
Quevedo was then asked if Carla Suarez Navarro, Spain’s Billie Jean King Cup captain, helped her before the match.
“She gave me a few tips, she told me to play solid, don’t worry in the beginning, that I’ll get used to the speed of the ball, and how she plays,” Quevedo said.
“She just told me to stay calm, so I took that advice.
“I’m really happy and it’s so amazing that she can be in my box.”
Navarro, 37, played 11 matches against Williams during her professional career, winning four.
Helping her countrywoman pick up the win, Navarro can now look forward to Quevedo’s second-round match.
The 20-year-old will take on Hailey Baptiste in the second round of the 2026 Madrid Open on Thursday, April 23.
