Fans recently expressed their discontent after Venus Williams’ winless 2026 campaign continued following another early exit at the Mubadala DC Open. Anastasia Potapova saw off the seven-time Grand Slam singles champion 6-3, 6-3 in 1 hour and 15 minutes on Tuesday.
This marked Williams’ ninth straight first-round exit of the season. She has won only four of 22 sets played. Against Potapova, Williams committed 19 unforced errors. Although she won 78% of points on her first serve, she struggled with her second serve, collecting only 24% of points. Her recent singles loss marked her 12th straight since her first-round win against Peyton Stearns at the same tournament last year.
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Her first-round loss after accepting the wildcard drew criticism from fans, with one of them accusing her of competing only for money.
“Man, Venus Williams just playing for money at this point,” wrote the fan.
Another fan stated that it would be embarrassing and ridiculous if she is awarded another wildcard entry and a prime-time slot match at the US Open.
Amid Williams’ underwhelming run, a fan criticized her for taking up spots from other worthy opponents and wrote:
Here are a few more reactions from fans:
Serena Williams reflects on her defeat against Venus Williams at a Wimbledon final

During her appearance at the Fanatics Fest, Serena Williams reflected on her loss against Venus Williams at the 2008 Wimbledon Championships. The seven-time singles Grand Slam winner defeated her sister 7-5, 6-4. Looking back on her defeat, Serena remembered that she was so upset by the loss that she couldn’t even look at her sister.
The Williams sisters were slated to compete together in the doubles event at the same tournament. Serena added that after the win, Venus was so calm and focused that she didn’t even notice her sister’s frustration.
“I remember once I lost the Wimbledon final against her and I was furious. I couldn’t even look at her. I couldn’t talk. And it was very funny because then we had to play a doubles final and I was furious. I didn’t say a word on the court. She is so disconnected that she didn’t even notice. Years later, I found out that she didn’t even know that I was mad at her.”
Serena and Venus Williams went on to win the doubles title.
Venus Williams and Father Richard recall one match that 7-time Grand Slam champion “should have won”
Edited by Janhavi Shinde

