Aug. 31, 2026, 2:10 a.m. ET
NEW YORK — Because the clock struck midnight in Queens, Sofia Kenin and Venus Williams had but to play a single level on Arthur Ashe Stadium, because the earlier five-set match between Novak Djokovic and Mariano Navone went 4 hours and 36 minutes, with the 24-time Grand Slam champion being despatched packing within the first spherical of a serious for the primary time in 20 years.
The women took the court docket a mere 10 minutes after the calendar turned to Aug. 31, and when the gang had completed rubbing their eyes, yawning, and making an attempt to remain awake, Kenin dispatched the 46-year-old two-time US Open champion 6-2, 7-6.
Due to the late begin, the match was presupposed to be moved to Louis Armstrong Stadium, however each gamers stated they wished to remain on the authentic venue at Ashe.
Williams was making her twenty sixth main-draw look on the US Open and nonetheless had a doubles event to play in along with her sister, Serena, after receiving a wild card to compete, simply as in her singles entry. She was additionally making her 96th Grand Slam look, essentially the most within the Open Period.
The night time began when Williams’ serve was damaged, after which damaged once more on her subsequent service sport because the 27-year-old Kenin took a 3-0 lead, as Williams’ unforced errors and double faults have been partly guilty, as each gamers weren’t sharp, Kenin was a lot sharper on her first and second serves.
Each ladies got here into the match having had tough seasons. Kenin, who gained the 2020 Australian Open and was the 2020 finalist on the French Open, gained solely six of her first 26 matches in 2026 earlier than her first-round victory, and Williams has now misplaced 15 consecutive singles matches, together with all 12 of her matches in 2026.
Kenin will transfer on to the second spherical, the place she is going to face No. 3 seed Jessica Pegula, a 6-3, 6-2 winner over Elena-Gabriela Ruse in her opening match.
