Since the WTA 500 tournament in Washington in July 2025, Venus Williams has suffered 10 consecutive singles losses. Looking further back, her competitiveness in singles began to evaporate around 2020. That year, at age 40, she posted a 1–8 record, meaning she was eliminated in the first round in seven tournaments.
In recent years, Williams has also graced the cover of fashion magazines, as seen above.
In 2021, at 41, she went 3–9 in singles, with first-round exits in six events. The following year, at 42, she finished 0–4, playing only four tournaments on the North American hard-court swing—Washington, Toronto, Cincinnati, and the US Open—all first-round losses. In 2023, at 43, she went 3–7, bowing out early in four events including Wimbledon and the US Open. In 2024, at 44, she went 0–2, losing in the first round at Indian Wells and Miami. In 2025, at 45, she managed one win in Washington but then lost in the first round at Cincinnati and the US Open, finishing 1–3.
Now, in 2026, as she approaches 46 in June, Williams is 0–7 in singles, having played more tournaments than in the previous five years. She has suffered first-round exits in Auckland, Hobart, the Australian Open, Austin, Indian Wells, Miami, and on clay in Madrid.
Currently, Williams’ ranking has fallen outside the top 500, meaning she cannot even qualify for qualifying draws at tour-level events. However, her status as a seven-time Grand Slam champion, former world No. 1, and Black player has turned her into a “wild card magnet.” Since Wimbledon 2021, she has received wild cards into 24 consecutive tournaments, spanning from 250-level events to Grand Slams. The WTA Finals do not offer wild cards, but the thought itself raises eyebrows.
Since the Open Era began in 1968, no other player has received as many wild cards as Williams. Each tournament typically hands out only a few, usually to promising young players, former champions, or winners of qualifying events. To see Williams collect 24 in over four years is unprecedented—and frustrating for rising stars who desperately need ranking points and prize money.
Despite her poor form, tournament directors continue to award her wild cards, hoping to attract crowds and honor her legacy. Yet Williams has consistently failed to deliver, losing almost every match. While the first few wild cards made sense, the streak of 24 has turned frustration into anger and even embarrassment—for the tournaments and for Williams herself.
Of course, Williams may feel no embarrassment. She might simply love tennis or be chasing a record—perhaps for the oldest player, not the longest losing streak. But for a future Hall of Famer, such records carry little value.
Williams’ repeated wild cards effectively deny young players opportunities they urgently need. If you think 24 is the limit, think again: she received a wild card for singles and doubles in Rome, though her husband later said she declined due to a prior commitment in the United States.
The next questions: Will she get wild cards for the French Open and Wimbledon this year? And where will this wild-card streak finally end?