Venus Williams loses 16th straight match as wildcard debate returns

Venus Williams lost her 16th consecutive singles match on Tuesday, falling 6-2, 6-2 to 18-year-old Lilli Tagger at the Guangzhou Open — a defeat that has renewed debate about the wildcards allowing the 46-year-old to enter tournaments.

The seven-time Grand Slam singles champion, ranked 599th, has not won a match since July 2025. Her 13 singles appearances this year have all ended in defeat, according to BBC Sport. Williams relies on tournament invitations to compete.

Some in tennis argue that wildcards given to Williams take places from younger players. Organisers, meanwhile, see commercial value in inviting a former world number one and one of the sport’s most celebrated players.

The match’s 28-year age gap was the largest between opponents in a WTA match this decade and among the biggest in tour-level history, BBC Sport reported. Tagger, ranked 53rd, is an Austrian who won the 2025 French Open girls’ title.

Tagger dropped just seven points on serve and did not face a break point. Williams saved 12 of 16 break points but could not prevent Tagger from breaking twice in each set.

Tagger said she was “super excited and a bit nervous” when she saw the draw, adding that she respected Williams and wanted to congratulate her. The crowd in Guangzhou gave Williams a large ovation as she left the court.